UK vs Greece: defence spending, GDP and economic growth compared
On NATO figures, the UK's defence spending in 2026 was 2.56% of GDP; Greece's was 3.65% of GDP. In 2025 the IMF gives $4.01 trillion for the UK's GDP and $280.5 billion for Greece. IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP growth rate at 1.2%, lower than Greece's 2.1%.
Core defence expenditure
On NATO figures, the UK's defence spending in 2026 was 2.56% of GDP; Greece's was 3.65% of GDP. The UK's figure was not higher than Greece's in any year from 2016 to 2026.
| Year | UK | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.56% of GDP | 3.65% of GDP |
| 2025 | 2.32% of GDP | 2.79% of GDP |
| 2024 | 2.28% of GDP | 2.77% of GDP |
| 2023 | 2.22% of GDP | 2.77% of GDP |
| 2022 | 2.22% of GDP | 3.89% of GDP |
| 2021 | 2.25% of GDP | 3.66% of GDP |
| 2020 | 2.33% of GDP | 2.87% of GDP |
| 2019 | 2.06% of GDP | 2.42% of GDP |
| 2018 | 2.08% of GDP | 2.52% of GDP |
| 2017 | 2.06% of GDP | 2.37% of GDP |
| 2016 | 2.07% of GDP | 2.40% of GDP |
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.
GDP, current prices
In 2025 the IMF gives $4.01 trillion for the UK's GDP and $280.5 billion for Greece. The UK's figure was higher than Greece's in every year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4.01 trillion | $280.5 billion |
| 2024 | $3.71 trillion | $256.2 billion |
| 2023 | $3.44 trillion | $243.0 billion |
| 2022 | $3.20 trillion | $218.2 billion |
| 2021 | $3.21 trillion | $218.4 billion |
| 2020 | $2.73 trillion | $191.2 billion |
| 2019 | $2.89 trillion | $207.3 billion |
| 2018 | $2.91 trillion | $213.4 billion |
| 2017 | $2.71 trillion | $200.3 billion |
| 2016 | $2.72 trillion | $193.0 billion |
| 2015 | $2.95 trillion | $194.6 billion |
The IMF's GDP in US dollars is the value of all goods and services produced in a country in a calendar year, at that year's prices, converted from the national currency into US dollars at market exchange rates.
Real GDP growth
IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP growth rate at 1.2%, lower than Greece's 2.1%. From 2015 to 2025 the UK's figure was the higher of the two in 3 of 11 years.
| Year | UK | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | 2.1% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | 2.1% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | 5.5% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | 8.7% |
| 2020 | minus 10.0% | minus 9.2% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | 2.3% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | 2.1% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | 1.5% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | minus 0.2% |
The IMF's real GDP growth is the percentage change in gross domestic product at constant prices, for a calendar year compared with the year before.
More figures for the UK and Greece
| Figure | UK | Greece | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP per head, purchasing power parity | $65,758 | $44,960 | 2025 | IMF |
| Inflation, average consumer prices | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2025 | IMF |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 8.9% | 2025 | IMF |
| General government gross debt | 102.1% of GDP | 146.6% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.4 years | 81.8 years | 2024 | World Bank |
| Total tax revenue | 34.4% of GDP | 39.8% of GDP | 2024 | OECD |
| Current health expenditure | 11.4% of GDP | 8.2% of GDP | 2025 | OECD |
| General government expenditure | 43.5% of GDP | 48.3% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Employment rate, ages 15 to 64 | 75.1% | 64.6% | 2025 | OECD |
| Real minimum wage per hour | $17.13 an hour | $8.35 an hour | 2025 | OECD |
| Gross domestic spending on research and development | 2.8% of GDP | 1.5% of GDP | 2023 | OECD |
| Price-to-income ratio, standardised | 115.7 (100 = long-term average) | 109.8 (100 = long-term average) | 2025 | OECD |
Each value is for the latest year both the UK and Greece have in that body's data. International bodies adjust national figures so that countries can be compared, so UK values can differ from the ONS's.
Ranked tables with the UK and Greece
- UK GDP growth compared with EU countries
- UK GDP compared with other countries
- UK defence spending compared with NATO allies
More about Greece: Greece in figures. Compare any two countries with the country comparison tool.
Sources and receipts
- NATO: Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2026)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
11e302d3f556b6df…· publisher's page - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
7294ac0b3013e39b…· publisher's page - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
5200170b0f19f025…· publisher's page
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