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 in real terms, and £62.0 billion in 2025/26. Under the Defence Investment Plan published in June 2026, the budget is planned to reach £79.1 billion in cash terms by 2029/30.
Defence Spending as % of GDP
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UK defence spending was 2.32% of GDP in 2025 on the NATO measure and is estimated at 2.56% in 2026, above the 2% guideline. The government has committed to 2.5% by 2027, or 2.6% including the intelligence agencies, and 3.5% by 2035.
UK Regular Forces Strength
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The regular British Army stood at 74,368 personnel at 1 April 2026, its smallest for around two centuries 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, 2026 estimates. Slovenia is the only ally below the 2% guideline. Baltic and frontline states spend the most, with Lithuania at 5.3%.
MOD Expenditure by Category
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How £262 billion of planned defence spending is allocated across 2026/27 to 2029/30 under the Defence Investment Plan. People and the nuclear deterrent together take just over half.
Defence vs Other Departments
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UK defence spending in 2024/25 compared with the other largest departmental groups. It is far smaller than welfare, health and education.
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 strength has held broadly steady at around 32,000 while 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 in real terms. On the NATO measure, defence spending was 2.32% of GDP in 2025 and is estimated at 2.56% in 2026. 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 stood at 74,368 personnel at 1 April 2026, its smallest for around two centuries, 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.