'Conflict is coming': How much does the UK spend on defence?
Kemi Badenoch challenges Andy Burnham to raise British military defence spending to 3% of GDP
Kemi Badenoch accused Andy Burnham of “kicking defence spending into the long grass” and said that the Prime Minister cannot defend the country with cheaper bus fares.
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The Conservative leader said she would aim to raise the British spend on defence to 3% by 2030, from the 2.3% it has been at, which is set to rise to 2.7%.
Mr Burnham is under pressure to hike defence spending to 3 per cent of national income by 2030, rising to 3.5 per cent by 2035, and the Treasury has consistently said the Government will set out plans.
Despite the investment, the British Army has been told to halt non-essential training exercises to save money.
Ms Badenoch pointed to the threat from hostile states like Russia and Iran as well as other countries that are boosting defence spending, including Poland and Germany.
“Conflict is coming; we must act now,” she told a press conference.
Mrs Badenoch said 3% spending by 2030 is needed and “anything after that is too late”.
“Andy Burnham is kicking defence spending into the long grass,” she said.
“Our enemies are not going to sit around and wait for Labour to find the money to fight them.”
She said Mr Burnham should call a general election if he is not willing to find the money now, adding: “The Prime Minister cannot defend us by capping bus fares.”
An Army spokesperson said: “Our training continues and we are prioritising activity that contributes most directly to readiness, deployability and operational effectiveness."
Here is how much the British government spends on defence.
How much does the UK spend on defence?
Defence spending in 2024/25 was £79.8 billion, accounting for 6.7% of total government spending and around 2.3% of the British GDP.
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database states that the US spends comfortably more than any other country, with £705bn per year, ahead of China (£248bn), Russia (£140bn), Germany (£84bn), and India (around £80bn).
Britain ranked sixth, one place ahead of Ukraine.
How much is spent on the Royal Navy?
The British Navy has an annual budget of around £16bn, according to reports.
The Ministry of Defence has said that it will invest £26bn over the next ten years to modernise the Royal Navy’s three main naval bases: HMNB Clyde, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth.
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review said the Royal Navy now has seven frigates and six destroyers, compared to 13 and 35 respectively in 1990.
How much is spent on the RAF?
There is no precise figure for the amount that the Ministry of Defence gives to the Royal Air Force.
In July, the Ministry of Defence announced a £180 million revamp for RAF Brize Norton, one of its main bases.
MoD minister Luke Pollard said: "This investment is highlighted in the Defence Investment Plan under Project Trenchard, the RAF’s £10 billion, 10-year programme to modernise bases and reverse decades of underfunding."
How much is spent on the British Army?
No specific figure has been put on the annual spend for the British Army.
John Healey, the Chancellor, is set to announce a £1.4bn a year investment over the next three years in the armed forces in the autumn budget, having resigned as Defence Secretary in protest at Sir Keir Starmer's spending plan.
The Strategic Defence Review last year said the number of soldiers has dropped to 73,790, around half of the 153,000 who were in the ranks at the end of the Cold War in 1990.
The review added that the number should not drop below 73,000.