# Spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027

> “We will deliver our commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, but we will bring it forward so that we reach that level in 2027 and we will maintain that for the rest of this Parliament.”
>
> — Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, Labour Party; Commons statement on defence and security, 25 February 2025

- **Status:** Funded
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Defence](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/defence)
- **Speaker:** [Keir Starmer](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/keir-starmer), Prime Minister
- **Party:** [Labour Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/labour)
- **Made on:** 25 February 2025
- **Where:** Commons statement on defence and security
- **Deadline:** 1 April 2027
- **Cost a year:** Costs £6bn to £13.4bn a year (central £13.4bn)
- **Who it affects:** The armed forces and defence budget; paid for by a cut to overseas aid
- **When:** 1 April 2027
- **Paid for by:** Cutting development assistance from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% in 2027
- **Quote source:** https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-02-25/debates/8BF58F19-B32B-4716-A613-8D5738541A30/DefenceAndSecurity (checked word for word on 6 October 2026; Open Parliament Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 6 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-defence-25-2027

## Where it stands

The Spending Review 2025 set the defence budget on a path to 2.6% of GDP on NATO's measure by 2027 (2.5% on the older measure plus intelligence spending), and the June 2026 Defence Investment Plan plans 2.6% in 2026-27 and 2.7% from 2027-28. Money is allocated to 2029-30; the card will move to Delivering when a source confirms spending at the higher level and to Delivered when 2027-28 outturn shows 2.5%.

## Timeline

- 25 February 2025, Promised: PM tells the Commons that defence spending will reach 2.5% of GDP in 2027, paid for by cutting aid to 0.3% of GNI
- 11 June 2025, Funded: Spending Review 2025 sets the defence budget on a path to 2.6% of GDP (NATO measure) by 2027 ([evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-html))
- 30 June 2026, Funded: Defence Investment Plan adds £15bn over four years; NATO-measure spending planned at 2.6% in 2026-27 and 2.7% from 2027-28 ([evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-investment-plan/the-defence-investment-plan-funding-explainer))
- 1 April 2027, Deadline (to come): 2.5% of GDP due from April 2027

## About the cost

Year shown: 2027-28, the first full year at the new level. The PM put it at £13.4bn more on defence every year from 2027 (central). The IFS said an extra 0.2% of GDP is around £6bn (low), and that the £13.4bn figure seems to assume the defence budget would otherwise have been frozen in cash terms. The government counts more intelligence spending as defence from 2027, taking the total to 2.6% of GDP on NATO's measure, which is the level the sandbox preset uses.

Costing sources:
- [Hansard, House of Commons, 25 Feb 2025: Defence and Security](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-02-25/debates/8BF58F19-B32B-4716-A613-8D5738541A30/DefenceAndSecurity)
- [IFS response to defence spending announcement, 25 Feb 2025](https://ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs-response-defence-spending-announcement)

## Sources

- [Hansard, House of Commons, 25 Feb 2025: Defence and Security (PM's statement)](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-02-25/debates/8BF58F19-B32B-4716-A613-8D5738541A30/DefenceAndSecurity)
- [No 10 press release, 25 Feb 2025: 2.5% of GDP from April 2027](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-biggest-sustained-increase-in-defence-spending-since-the-cold-war-protecting-british-people-in-new-era-for-national-security)
- [Spending Review 2025 (HM Treasury)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-html)
- [The Defence Investment Plan: funding explainer, 30 Jun 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-investment-plan/the-defence-investment-plan-funding-explainer)
- [IFS response to defence spending announcement, 25 Feb 2025](https://ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs-response-defence-spending-announcement)

## Checks

- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 6 October 2026; human editor review to come.

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