Sweden vs United Kingdom: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Sweden
2.5%
in 2025
United Kingdom
2.4%
in 2025
Sweden rank
50th
United Kingdom rank
53rd
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 2.5% against 2.4% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Sweden ranks 50th and United Kingdom ranks 53rd of 167 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 6.5% | 2.7% | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 3.2% | 5.0% | 1.8% | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 5.0% | 2.2% | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 3.2% | 1.0% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 2.4% | 1.0% | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 2.2% | 0.6% | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Sweden or United Kingdom?
- Sweden, at 2.5% against 2.4% in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Sweden and United Kingdom?
- 0.1%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Sweden and United Kingdom rank globally for military expenditure?
- Sweden ranks 50th and United Kingdom ranks 53rd of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product