Civometry

HM Treasury · £ billion, 2024-25 prices

Spending on defence, real terms under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Spending on defence, real terms: Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2025LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour020406020052010201520202025Year ending March 2003: £47.5bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2004: £49.5bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2005: £49.8bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2006: £50.4bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2007: £51bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2008: £52.1bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2009: £54.9bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2010: £55.5bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2011: £56.8bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2012: £54.9bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2013: £50.6bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2014: £49.8bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2015: £49.6bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2016: £49.1bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2017: £48.7bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2018: £50bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2019: £50.9bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2020: £52.2bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2021: £52.3bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2022: £57.4bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2023: £61.2bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2024: £59.1bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2025: £63.6bn £ billion, 2024-25 prices · published 17 July 2025
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – presentFewer than two periods have been published during this government, so no change is shown yet.
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 2024£50.9bnYear ending March 2019£59.1bnYear ending March 2024↑ 16.1%+£8.2bn
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 2019£48.7bnYear ending March 2017£50.9bnYear ending March 2019↑ 4.5%+£2.2bn
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 2017£49.6bnYear ending March 2015£48.7bnYear ending March 2017↓ 1.8%−£900m
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 2015£55.5bnYear ending March 2010£49.6bnYear ending March 2015↓ 10.6%−£5.9bn
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 2010£49.8bnYear ending March 2005£55.5bnYear ending March 2010↑ 11.4%+£5.7bn
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.