UK Spent 2.3% of GDP on Defence in 2025 as NATO Average Stayed Lower
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 11
UK Spent 2.3% of GDP on Defence in 2025 as NATO Average Stayed Lower
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 11
Summary
The UK spent 2.3% of GDP on defence in 2025, placing it just above the NATO average, according to alliance figures.
Only three NATO members — Poland, Lithuania and Latvia — spent more than 3.5% of GDP, with Estonia and Norway close to that level.
That leaves Britain well short of its stated ambition to reach 3% on defence in the next parliament, despite ministers calling the buildup the biggest sustained rise since the Cold War.
The comparison is sharper against domestic spending: working-age benefits have exceeded defence since 1990 and are projected to reach about 4.3% of GDP by the end of the decade.
By 2035, the government has also signed up to a broader NATO goal of 5% on national security — split into 3.5% for core defence and 1.5% for areas such as critical infrastructure.