Military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Military expenditure was 2.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1960–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 2.3%.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 7.1% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2018.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 52nd out of 165 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.1% | — |
| 1961 | 6.9% | -2.4% |
| 1962 | 6.9% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.8% | -2.1% |
| 1964 | 6.6% | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 6.4% | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 6.2% | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 6.2% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 5.9% | -4.7% |
| 1969 | 5.5% | -7.4% |
| 1970 | 5.2% | -5.5% |
| 1971 | 5.1% | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 5.2% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | -5.1% |
| 1974 | 5.1% | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 5.3% | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 4.9% | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 4.7% | -3.9% |
| 1979 | 4.7% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 5.0% | +7.3% |
| 1981 | 5.0% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 5.4% | +8.0% |
| 1983 | 5.4% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 5.5% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 5.3% | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 5.1% | -4.9% |
| 1987 | 4.7% | -7.4% |
| 1988 | 4.2% | -10.1% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 4.0% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 3.9% | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | -7.1% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -5.8% |
| 1995 | 2.9% | -15.6% |
| 1996 | 2.7% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +8.4% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.5% | 5.5% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 4.7% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.0% | 4.0% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More public sector data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Arms imports 643.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 9.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 36.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 643.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 1,180 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0221 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 8.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 81.76 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 1,951 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Military expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 2.3% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 1960.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2018.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for military expenditure?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 52nd out of 165 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product