Keir Starmer's pledge

We will deliver our commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, but we will bring it forward so that we reach that level in 2027 and we will maintain that for the rest of this Parliament.

Made under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government, as GOV.UK labels it.

Made 2025-02-25 · Deadline 2027 · Where it was made · archived copy · Parliament record

What the official figures show

Defence spending as a share of GDP, 2027 (target)

2.5%

2026-10-23 · Hansard, House of Commons (Prime Minister statement, 25 February 2025) · receipt

UK defence spending as a share of GDP (NATO definition), 2023 (baseline)

2.25%

2026-10-23 · Ministry of Defence, International defence expenditure bulletin · receipt

UK defence spending as a share of GDP (NATO definition), 2024 (latest)

2.33%

2026-10-23 · Ministry of Defence, International defence expenditure bulletin · receipt

These figures are repeated from their sources and update automatically. We don't say whether the pledge has been kept.