Civometry

Defence spending as a share of GDP: record highs and lows

The extremes of defence spending as a share of gdp as published by HM Treasury, across the 23 periods held here (Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2025). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

The latest figure, 2.2% in Year ending March 2025, is the highest since Year ending March 2012, when it was 2.3% — every period between was lower. The rule: a period counts as beaten only when its figure is strictly below the latest, and the claim is only made when it reaches back at least five years.

Highest published

2.4%Year ending March 2010 — the same figure was published for at least one other period

Lowest published

1.8%Year ending March 2017 — the same figure was published for at least one other period

The full series

Defence spending as a share of GDP: Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2025LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0%1%2%20052010201520202025Year ending March 2003: 2.2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2004: 2.3% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2005: 2.2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2006: 2.2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2007: 2.2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2008: 2.2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2009: 2.3% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2010: 2.4% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2011: 2.4% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2012: 2.3% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2013: 2.1% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2014: 2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2015: 2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2016: 1.9% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2017: 1.8% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2018: 1.8% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2019: 1.9% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2020: 1.9% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2021: 2.1% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2022: 2.1% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2023: 2.1% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2024: 2.1% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2025: 2.2% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.