UK defence spending compared with NATO allies
In 2026 (NATO estimate) the UK had the 14th-highest defence spending of the 31 NATO countries with figures for that year: 2.56% of GDP. Lithuania had the highest (5.33% of GDP) and Slovenia the lowest (1.61% of GDP). The simple average across the 31 was 2.76% of GDP, a difference of 0.20 percentage points from the UK's figure.
The UK over ten years
Over 2017 to 2026, the UK's highest value was 2.56% of GDP (2026) and its lowest 2.06% of GDP (2017).
The UK's figure was higher than the average in eight of the ten years from 2017 to 2026 and lower in two.
In 2017 the UK ranked 3rd of the 31 countries with a figure; in 2026 it ranked 14th of 31.
11 countries had a lower figure than the UK in 2017 and a higher one in 2026: Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Türkiye and 3 others.
NATO's figures for 2025 onwards are estimates.
How the NATO measures it
NATO defines defence expenditure as payments by a national government to meet the needs of its armed forces, those of allies or of the Alliance, including military pensions, peacekeeping and some research and development. NATO calls this core defence expenditure. The share of GDP is calculated in real terms at 2021 prices. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are NATO's estimates.
Countries compared: The 32 NATO allies. NATO publishes no defence spending figure for Iceland, which has no armed forces. The table uses the latest year for which the UK and at least three-quarters of the countries the NATO covers have a figure, so every value is for the same period.
Why this differs from the UK's own figures
These are not ONS figures. The Ministry of Defence publishes its own budget and spending, and HM Treasury reports defence spending in its public spending statistics. NATO's definition is set by the Alliance and counts some items outside the defence department's budget, such as military pensions, so NATO's figure for the UK differs from the Ministry of Defence's budget.
Sources and receipts
Every value on this page was read from these addresses. The SHA-256 is the fingerprint of the file as downloaded, so a later change at the source can be detected.
- https://www.nato.int/content/dam/nato/webready/documents/finance/def-exp-2026-en.xlsx
NATO, Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2026) · read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
11e302d3f556b6df… - NATO: Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2026)The publisher's page for this data, indicator Table 3.
Common questions
Where does the UK rank for defence spending in NATO?
Counting from the highest, the UK is 14th of 31 with 2.56% of GDP in 2026 (NATO estimate), on NATO figures.
Which NATO country has the highest defence spending?
Lithuania, at 5.33% of GDP in 2026 (NATO estimate) (NATO).
Which NATO country has the lowest defence spending?
Slovenia, at 1.61% of GDP in 2026 (NATO estimate) (NATO).
What is the NATO average defence spending?
The simple average of the 31 countries with figures for 2026 (NATO estimate) is 2.76% of GDP. The UK's figure is 2.56% of GDP.
How has the UK's defence spending changed since 2017?
It was 2.06% of GDP in 2017 and 2.56% of GDP in 2026, according to the NATO.
Is this the same as the UK's official figure?
These are not ONS figures. The Ministry of Defence publishes its own budget and spending, and HM Treasury reports defence spending in its public spending statistics.
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These pages state each body's figures and the UK's position among them. They give no view on whether a figure is high or low. To report an error, send a correction request.