United Kingdom's military expenditure (current USD) was 88.98 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 48.32% from 59.99 billion in 2015 (4.02% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 88.98 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 58.33 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 59.99 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 89.81 billion | 2024 |
| Lowest | 5.13 billion | 1960 |
| Average since 2016 | 65.77 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 5.13 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2025, United Kingdom's military expenditure (current USD) fell 0.9% on 2024 (from 89.81 billion to 88.98 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +3.2% and a typical year strayed about 8.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 38% in 1980 and the biggest yearly fall was 16.4% in 1993. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 4.26 billion a year. A straight line explains 85% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, United Kingdom had the 7th highest value of the 150 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 88.98 billion | 2025 |
| World | 2.86 trillion | 2025 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 894.5 billion | 2025 |
| High income | 2.09 trillion | 2025 |
Closest to United Kingdom in the 2025 ranking
- Russian Federation — 3rd of 150: 190.42 billion
- Germany — 4th of 150: 113.59 billion
- India — 5th of 150: 92.06 billion
- Ukraine — 7th of 150: 84.11 billion
- Saudi Arabia — 8th of 150: 83.18 billion
- France — 9th of 150: 68.01 billion
What this measures
Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)
Limitations: SIPRI strives to compile reliable, consistent military expenditure data by assessing multiple sources, but accuracy depends on the quality and transparency of those sources. Challenges arise from two key issues: whether reported figures reflect actual spending and how closely they match SIPRI’s definition. While data is generally accurate in developed and many developing countries, weak governance, corruption, and secret transfers in others can lead to major discrepancies. SIPRI sometimes makes estimates, when sources conflict or lack coverage, introducing uncertainty, especially for countries like China or the UAE.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 66 values
| Year | Military expenditure (current USD) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 88,977,496,940 |
| 2024 | 89,814,565,862 |
| 2023 | 73,609,224,258 |
| 2022 | 64,015,768,189 |
| 2021 | 65,148,595,798 |
| 2020 | 58,332,371,795 |
| 2019 | 56,567,602,041 |
| 2018 | 55,832,916,405 |
| 2017 | 52,075,008,432 |
| 2016 | 53,327,366,088 |
Military expenditure (current USD) in nearby economies
- Albania — 623.61 million (2025)
- Armenia — 1.73 billion (2025)
- Austria — 6.35 billion (2025)
- Azerbaijan — 4.94 billion (2025)
- Belarus — 1.94 billion (2025)
- Belgium — 14.53 billion (2025)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 231.4 million (2025)
- Bulgaria — 2.59 billion (2025)
- Croatia — 2.1 billion (2025)
- Cyprus — 663.31 million (2025)
- Czechia
More public sector data for United Kingdom
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 609 million (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 71.18 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.35% (2025)
- Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 702 million (2025)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 203.14 billion (2024)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 7.03% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 69.25 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 2.4% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United Kingdom's military expenditure (current USD)?
- 88.98 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 1,635% from 5.13 billion in 1960 (4.49% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 89.81 billion in 2024 and the lowest 5.13 billion in 1960.
- How does United Kingdom rank?
- 7th highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in military expenditure (current USD) unusual for United Kingdom?
- In 2025, United Kingdom's military expenditure (current USD) fell 0.9% on 2024 (from 89.81 billion to 88.98 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +3.2% and a typical year strayed about 8.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPND.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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