Key Indicators
Latest availableRegular Forces by Branch
1 April 2026 · Full-time trained & untrainedSpending Charts
Defence spending is rising again after decades of decline, pulled upward by the war in Ukraine, NATO commitments and doubts about long-term American security guarantees. These charts show the money in real terms, as a share of the economy, and where it actually goes.
UK Defence Spending
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The UK spent £60.2 billion on defence in 2024/25, rising to £62.2 billion in 2025/26 under current plans. Spending fell after the Cold War and is now increasing again.
Defence Spending as % of GDP
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UK defence spending is about 2.4% of GDP (2025) on the NATO measure, above the 2% minimum. The government has committed to 2.5% by 2027 and 3.5% by 2035.
UK Regular Forces Strength
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The regular British Army has fallen to around 70,000 personnel, its smallest since about 1800 and down from over 100,000 in 2010.
Inflow vs Outflow
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People joining the armed forces versus those leaving each year. In most recent years more have left than joined, which is why total numbers have fallen.
NATO Member Spending
% of GDP · 2024The alliance-wide picture: who spends what, measured on NATO's single consistent definition - the chart at the centre of every burden-sharing argument.
Defence Expenditure as % of GDP - All NATO Members
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Defence spending as a share of GDP for each NATO member. All members were expected to meet the 2% minimum in 2025. Frontline states such as Poland spend the most.
MOD Expenditure by Category
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How the defence budget of over £60 billion is split between personnel, equipment, the nuclear deterrent and other costs. Pay and the deterrent take up a large share.
Defence vs Other Departments
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UK defence spending compared with other departments. It is far smaller than health, welfare and education, the three largest areas of government spending.
MOD Research & Development
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MOD spending on research and development. The war in Ukraine has increased focus on drones and autonomous systems, which now compete with traditional equipment for funding.
Reserve Forces Strength
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The number of volunteer reservists, who support the full-time forces. Reserve numbers have fallen in recent years, even as the regular forces have shrunk.
Equipment & Inventory
As at 1 April 2025 · MOD annual publicationBeyond money and people: the hardware. Equipment numbers reveal the long-run consequences of spending decisions, since ships, tanks and aircraft ordered today arrive over decades - and most headline counts below have fallen over the past decade.
About this data
Spending, personnel and equipment figures come from the Ministry of Defence's official statistical publications - quarterly service personnel statistics and annual finance and equipment releases reporting holdings as at 1 April - with international comparisons from NATO's own estimates, which apply a single definition of defence expenditure to every ally.
Equipment counts are formal holdings, not day-to-day availability, which is typically lower. Spending is shown in real terms where indicated, so trends reflect genuine changes in resources rather than inflation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the UK spend on defence?
The UK spent £60.2 billion on defence in 2024/25, about 2.4% of GDP on the NATO measure. The government has committed to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3.5% by 2035.
How big is the British Army?
The regular British Army has fallen to about 70,000 personnel, its smallest size since around 1800, down from over 100,000 in 2010.
What is the NATO 2% defence spending target?
Since the 2014 Wales summit, NATO members have committed to spending at least 2% of GDP on defence, measured using NATO's common definition of defence expenditure. The UK has met the 2% guideline every year, and allies agreed to raise collective spending ambitions at the 2025 Hague summit.
How big is the British Army?
The chart on this page shows the current full-time strength of the British Army alongside the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, using the Ministry of Defence's quarterly service personnel statistics, which are the official source for armed forces headcounts.
Where do the equipment numbers come from?
Equipment figures are taken from the MOD's annual statistical publications on land equipment, vessels and aircraft, which report formal holdings as at 1 April each year. They count equipment held rather than equipment ready for operations on any given day.
Is UK defence spending going up?
The spending charts on this page show UK defence expenditure over time, both in cash terms and as a share of GDP against the NATO 2% guideline, so you can see the trend directly from official MOD and NATO figures rather than relying on headlines.
How does UK defence spending compare with other NATO members?
The NATO comparison chart shows defence spending as a share of GDP across alliance members using NATO's own published estimates, which apply the same definition to every country and are the standard basis for comparing allies.