Spending on defence during the Conservative 2019–2024 government
Year ending March 2019 → Year ending March 2024 · 5 periods
↑ 41.3%+£16.6bn £ billion
Spending on defence rose by 41.3% over the period, from £40.2bn £ billion (Year ending March 2019, the level when the government took office) to £56.8bn (Year ending March 2024, the last complete period before it left office).
Inherited level Year ending March 2019: £40.2bn
Level when it left Year ending March 2024: £56.8bn
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.
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
Definition and caveats
Public sector spending on defence by function in cash terms, on the COFOG definition rather than the NATO one.
Doesn’t measure: The NATO measure of defence spending, which counts some pensions and other items differently.