Total UK defence spending, on the national MoD (Ministry of Defence) basis. It excludes military pensions, so it runs below the NATO-definition figure behind the 2% target; and before the early 2000s an older accounting basis applied, so the long run is not exactly comparable. A larger budget buys more forces and equipment; a smaller one, less.
Source: Ministry of Defence · NATO · SIPRI
Coverage: UK
Shares in Goodwin jump as naval submarine maker eyes sale of engineering assets
Daily Mail · Angharad Carrick · 7 August 2026
Marco Rubio’s defence spending urge is nothing new
The Spectator · Eliot Wilson · 6 August 2026
Ed Miliband insists his past jibe at 'racist' Donald Trump 'didn't come up' in talks with US counterpart Marco Rubio - as Foreign Secretary is urged to boost UK defence spending
Daily Mail · 6 August 2026
Why The PM Must Be Wary His 'Burnham Bounce' Does Not Turn Into A Boomerang
HuffPost UK · Kate Nicholson · 31 July 2026
Streeting retreats over defence plan: Minister won't commit to 3pc spending pledge because Labour doesn't know how to pay for it
Daily Mail · 30 July 2026
Reporting from the left, centre and right of the press.
Will Trump be Burnham’s undoing, or the making of him? The answer lies in Europe | Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian · Jonathan Freedland · 31 July 2026
Iran says RAF Fairford deemed 'legitimate target'
BBC News · Sean Seddon · 24 July 2026
Marco Rubio’s defence spending urge is nothing new
The Spectator · Eliot Wilson · 6 August 2026
The latest figures across all Defence metrics.
Reserves
28,892−306
2026
Personnel · Outflow (leaving)
13,393−1.2k
2026
Personnel · Intake (joining)
14,370+918
2026
Personnel · RAF
31,082+632
2026
Personnel · Navy & Marines
32,516+364
2026
Personnel · Army
74,368−28
2026
Equipment Holdings · Submarines
9−1
2025
Equipment Holdings · Vessels
70+0
2025
Equipment Holdings · Aircraft
504−52
2025
Army Since 1900
74,396−929
2025
Spending · NATO Europe & Canada
2.27%+0.3%
2025
Spending · Poland
4.48%+0.7%
2025
Spending · France
2.05%+0.0%
2025
Spending · US
3.22%+0.0%
2025
Spending · UK
2.40%+0.1%
2025
Nuclear Deterrent Cost
£11bn+1.5%
2024/25
Defence Budget
£60bn+6.3%
2024/25
Spending · Germany
2.00%+0.4%
2024
Spending · NATO definition
2.33%+0.1%
2024
Spending · Long run (SIPRI)
2.28%+0.0%
2024
Equipment Plan Gap
£17bn+19.5%
2023
