Military spending in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Military spending was 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
84.21 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 4.8%
World rank
6th
of 172 countries
All-time high
215.05 billion constant 2022 US$
in 1944
All-time low
948.38 million constant 2022 US$
in 1836
Years of data
208
1816–2023
Military spending in United Kingdom, 1816–2023
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
In 2023, military spending in United Kingdom stood at 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$.
The figure is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in United Kingdom peaked at 215.05 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1944 and was at its lowest, 948.38 million constant 2022 US$, in 1836.
That places United Kingdom 6th out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 1.13 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.32 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
| 1820s | 1.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | 984.72 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.14 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1830s | 1.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | 948.38 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1840s | 1.63 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.30 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.01 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1850s | 3.38 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.48 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1860s | 2.82 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.81 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1880s | 3.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.63 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1890s | 4.67 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.60 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.62 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1900s | 9.20 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.86 billion constant 2022 US$ | 13.90 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1910s | 55.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | 7.35 billion constant 2022 US$ | 138.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1920s | 8.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | 7.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | 11.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1930s | 23.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.74 billion constant 2022 US$ | 133.55 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1940s | 148.55 billion constant 2022 US$ | 39.31 billion constant 2022 US$ | 215.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1950s | 38.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | 25.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | 43.77 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 40.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 35.67 billion constant 2022 US$ | 43.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 44.38 billion constant 2022 US$ | 37.43 billion constant 2022 US$ | 55.30 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 64.47 billion constant 2022 US$ | 59.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | 68.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 62.86 billion constant 2022 US$ | 57.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | 68.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.04 billion constant 2022 US$ | 57.51 billion constant 2022 US$ | 81.53 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | 64.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | 74.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | 75.55 billion constant 2022 US$ | 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.37 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.09 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.4402 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.1504 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.74 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 153.13 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in United Kingdom?
- Military spending in United Kingdom was 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 215.05 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1944.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 948.38 million constant 2022 US$ in 1836.
- How does United Kingdom rank for military spending?
- United Kingdom ranks 6th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 208 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.