France vs United Kingdom: Military spending
France
64.52 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
United Kingdom
87.98 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
France rank
9th
United Kingdom rank
6th
Military spending over time
- France
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 87.98 billion constant 2024 US$ against 64.52 billion constant 2024 US$ in France, a difference of 23.47 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.4 times France's.
Across all 76 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
France ranks 9th and United Kingdom ranks 6th of 162 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 27.45 billion constant 2024 US$ | 53.77 billion constant 2024 US$ | 26.32 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 35.69 billion constant 2024 US$ | 55.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | 20.12 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 42.32 billion constant 2024 US$ | 59.64 billion constant 2024 US$ | 17.31 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 54.24 billion constant 2024 US$ | 74.02 billion constant 2024 US$ | 19.78 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 53.70 billion constant 2024 US$ | 65.64 billion constant 2024 US$ | 11.94 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 52.49 billion constant 2024 US$ | 70.93 billion constant 2024 US$ | 18.44 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 53.25 billion constant 2024 US$ | 70.32 billion constant 2024 US$ | 17.07 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 61.27 billion constant 2024 US$ | 78.69 billion constant 2024 US$ | 17.42 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, France or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 87.98 billion constant 2024 US$ against 64.52 billion constant 2024 US$ in France as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between France and United Kingdom?
- 23.47 billion constant 2024 US$, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom rank globally for military spending?
- France ranks 9th and United Kingdom ranks 6th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.