Germany vs United Kingdom: Military spending
Germany
106.73 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
United Kingdom
87.98 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
Germany rank
4th
United Kingdom rank
6th
Military spending over time
- Germany
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Germany currently reports 106.73 billion constant 2024 US$ against 87.98 billion constant 2024 US$ in United Kingdom, a difference of 18.74 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.2 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 73 shared years of data; in 1953 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Germany ranks 4th and United Kingdom ranks 6th of 162 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 23.20 billion constant 2024 US$ | 56.84 billion constant 2024 US$ | 33.64 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 46.06 billion constant 2024 US$ | 55.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | 9.75 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 58.95 billion constant 2024 US$ | 59.64 billion constant 2024 US$ | 684.06 million constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 65.86 billion constant 2024 US$ | 74.02 billion constant 2024 US$ | 8.15 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 55.41 billion constant 2024 US$ | 65.64 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10.23 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 46.54 billion constant 2024 US$ | 70.93 billion constant 2024 US$ | 24.39 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 48.83 billion constant 2024 US$ | 70.32 billion constant 2024 US$ | 21.49 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 74.31 billion constant 2024 US$ | 78.69 billion constant 2024 US$ | 4.38 billion constant 2024 US$ | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, Germany or United Kingdom?
- Germany, at 106.73 billion constant 2024 US$ against 87.98 billion constant 2024 US$ in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between Germany and United Kingdom?
- 18.74 billion constant 2024 US$, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United Kingdom?
- 73 years are reported by both, from 1953 to 2025.
- How do Germany and United Kingdom rank globally for military spending?
- Germany ranks 4th 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.