# 5% of GDP on national security by 2035 > “That is why, as part of this strategy, we make a historic commitment to spend 5% of our GDP on national security by 2035.” > > — Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, Labour Party; National Security Strategy 2025, PM's foreword, page 5, 24 June 2025 - **Status:** In plan - **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:** 24 June 2025 - **Where:** National Security Strategy 2025, PM's foreword, page 5 - **Deadline:** 31 December 2035 - **Cost a year:** Costs £36bn to £44bn a year (central £40bn) - **Who it affects:** UK defence and national security (3.5% of GDP core defence, 1.5% resilience and security) - **When:** By 2035 - **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced - **Quote source:** https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685ab0da72588f418862075c/E03360428_National_Security_Strategy_Accessible.pdf (checked word for word on 6 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0) - **Last updated:** 8 October 2026 - **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-nato-5pc-2035-2025 ## Where it stands The National Security Strategy commits to 5% of GDP on national security by 2035; No 10's 23 June 2025 press release gives a projected split of 3.5% core defence and 1.5% resilience and security; the June 2026 Defence Investment Plan restates the 3.5% for 2035, but money is set out only to 2029-30, at 2.7% of GDP. The deadline is taken as the end of 2035. ## Timeline - 24 June 2025, Promised: PM commits to 5% of GDP on national security by 2035 in the National Security Strategy, ahead of the NATO summit - 30 June 2026, In plan: Defence Investment Plan restates the 3.5% of GDP core defence commitment for 2035; funding set out to 2029-30 at 2.7% ([evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-investment-plan/the-defence-investment-plan-funding-explainer)) - 31 December 2035, Deadline (to come): 5% of GDP on national security due by 2035 ## About the cost Year shown: 2034-35, in 2025-26 terms. The government gave no cost. The OBR estimates that raising core defence spending from 2.4% of GDP in 2025-26 to 3.5% would cost around £40bn a year by 2034-35. The government says the further 1.5% of GDP for resilience and security is met within existing spending plans, as the OBR reports, so the figure covers core defence only. It overlaps with the rise on the separate 2027 defence card. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the OBR gives a central figure only; the IFS puts the rise at about £36bn a year. Costing sources: - [OBR: Economic and fiscal outlook, March 2026, paragraph 4.15](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a6d7b62e1f4fbda4252208/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026-web-accessible.pdf#page=70) - [OBR: Fiscal risks and sustainability, July 2025, paragraph 5.18](https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/Fiscal-risks-and-sustainability-report-July-2025.pdf#page=137) - [IFS Green Budget 2025: Honouring NATO defence spending commitment would reshape British state](https://ifs.org.uk/news/honouring-nato-defence-spending-commitment-would-reshape-british-state) ## Corrections - 6 October 2026, the cost note in version 1: "Today's terms" meant the IFS's 2025 terms, and the note did not say that the IFS figure starts from 2024 spending. It therefore includes the rise to 2.5% already counted on the 2027 defence card. Was: “Year shown: 2035, the target year, in today's terms; central figure only. The government gave no cost. The IFS estimates that raising core defence from 2.3% of GDP to 3.5% equals about £36bn a year in today's terms. There is no costing for the 1.5% on resilience and security, so the figure covers the core defence part only. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.”. Now: “Year shown: 2035, the target year, in 2025 terms; central figure only. The government gave no cost. The IFS estimates that raising core defence from 2.3% of GDP to 3.5% equals about £36bn a year in 2025 terms. The IFS figure is measured from 2024 spending (2.3% of GDP), so it overlaps with the rise to 2.5% on the separate 2027 defence card. There is no costing for the 1.5% on resilience and security, so the figure covers the core defence part only. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.”. ([source](https://ifs.org.uk/news/honouring-nato-defence-spending-commitment-would-reshape-british-state)) - 8 October 2026, the how much bn per year in version 1: The range came from the IFS, a think tank. The promise standard uses an official costing when one exists, and the OBR has one: around £40bn a year by 2034-35 in 2025-26 terms. The IFS figure stays as support. Was: £32.4bn to £39.6bn a year. Now: £36bn to £44bn a year. ([source](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a6d7b62e1f4fbda4252208/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026-web-accessible.pdf#page=70)) - 8 October 2026, the cost note in version 1: The note now explains the OBR figure that replaces the IFS one, and records the government's position that the 1.5% for resilience and security is met within existing plans. Was: “Year shown: 2035, the target year, in 2025 terms; central figure only. The government gave no cost. The IFS estimates that raising core defence from 2.3% of GDP to 3.5% equals about £36bn a year in 2025 terms. The IFS figure is measured from 2024 spending (2.3% of GDP), so it overlaps with the rise to 2.5% on the separate 2027 defence card. There is no costing for the 1.5% on resilience and security, so the figure covers the core defence part only. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.”. Now: “Year shown: 2034-35, in 2025-26 terms. The government gave no cost. The OBR estimates that raising core defence spending from 2.4% of GDP in 2025-26 to 3.5% would cost around £40bn a year by 2034-35. The government says the further 1.5% of GDP for resilience and security is met within existing spending plans, as the OBR reports, so the figure covers core defence only. It overlaps with the rise on the separate 2027 defence card. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the OBR gives a central figure only; the IFS puts the rise at about £36bn a year.”. ([source](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a6d7b62e1f4fbda4252208/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026-web-accessible.pdf#page=70)) - 8 October 2026, the cost sources in version 1: The OBR's reports, the official source of the new figure, are added; the IFS stays as support. Was: IFS Green Budget 2025: Honouring NATO defence spending commitment would reshape British state. Now: OBR: Economic and fiscal outlook, March 2026, paragraph 4.15; OBR: Fiscal risks and sustainability, July 2025, paragraph 5.18; IFS Green Budget 2025: Honouring NATO defence spending commitment would reshape British state. ([source](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69a6d7b62e1f4fbda4252208/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026-web-accessible.pdf#page=70)) ## Sources - [National Security Strategy 2025: Security for the British People in a Dangerous World (PDF)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685ab0da72588f418862075c/E03360428_National_Security_Strategy_Accessible.pdf) - [No 10 press release, 23 Jun 2025: UK to deliver on 5% NATO pledge](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-deliver-on-5-nato-pledge-as-government-drives-greater-security-for-working-people) - [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 Green Budget 2025: Honouring NATO defence spending commitment would reshape British state](https://ifs.org.uk/news/honouring-nato-defence-spending-commitment-would-reshape-british-state) ## Checks - Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 6 October 2026; human editor review to come. --- Public Ledger's own writing (headlines, status notes, cost notes, summaries) is licensed under [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): reuse it, crediting Public Ledger with a link to the card. 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