Civometry

HM Treasury · 9 June 2017 – 13 December 2019

Defence spending as a share of GDP during the Conservative 2017–2019 government

Year ending March 2017 → Year ending March 2019 · 2 periods

↑ 5.6%+0.1% percent of GDP

Defence spending as a share of GDP rose by 5.6% over the period, from 1.8% percent of GDP (Year ending March 2017, the level when the government took office) to 1.9% (Year ending March 2019, the last complete period before it left office).

  1. Inherited level Year ending March 2017: 1.8%
  2. Level when it left Year ending March 2019: 1.9%
  3. method: latest complete period before start / before end

Changes during this period do not by themselves show what the government caused. Statistics reflect many influences, including earlier decisions, the economy and how the data is collected.

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

Definition and caveats

Public sector defence spending on the COFOG definition divided by GDP.

Doesn’t measure: The NATO 2% measure, which uses a different definition.