Spending on defence during the Labour 2005–2010 government
Year ending March 2005 → Year ending March 2010 · 5 periods
↑ 26.5%+£7.9bn £ billion
Spending on defence rose by 26.5% over the period, from £29.8bn £ billion (Year ending March 2005, the level when the government took office) to £37.7bn (Year ending March 2010, the last complete period before it left office).
Inherited level Year ending March 2005: £29.8bn
Level when it left Year ending March 2010: £37.7bn
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.