What does the pledge mean? 

This pledge is about setting out a plan outlining when defence spending as a proportion of GDP will increase. So whether or not it’s been achieved depends on whether the “path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence” has been set out, rather than whether the government actually achieves this spending target by a specific date.

‘Defence spending’ in this context is broader than just the Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget. The government has told Full Fact that it refers to all defence spending, including some things outside the MOD’s budget, but within the definitions of NATO qualifying spend. This includes spending on things such as armed forces pensions and the Integrated Security Fund, a fund for projects that aim to help tackle threats to UK security. 

Labour’s manifesto did not specify any timescale for it publishing this “path”, though the terms of reference for the government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) said that this would “be dealt with at a future fiscal event”.

We’ve written before about UK defence spending as a proportion of GDP. 

NATO members first agreed in 2006 to spend 2% of their GDP on NATO-qualifying defence, then reaffirmed this commitment in 2014. The UK has met this target consistently, and has spent 2.3% of GDP on defence for each of the last three years.

In April 2024, the then-Conservative government committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030. It said this figure would set “a new standard for other major European NATO economies to follow” and help deter “growing threats” from countries such as Russia, Iran and China. Labour did not commit to the same timeframe during the 2024 general election, however.

What progress has been made?

On 25 February 2025 the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK will spend 2.5% of its GDP on defence from April 2027. 

He said: “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.” 

Full details of how exactly the UK will get to 2.5% in 2027/2028, from the current level of 2.3%, were not immediately published. But given the government has now set out a clear timetable for defence spending to reach 2.5%, we have rated this pledge as ‘achieved’.

We’ve asked the government if it will be producing a year-by-year plan, such as that published by the last government, and will update this page if we receive a response.

In his statement, Mr Starmer also said: “On top of the funding of 2.5% that I have just announced, we will recognise the incredible contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of our nation, which means that, taken together, we will be spending 2.6% on our defence from 2027.”  

A government press release issued after Mr Starmer’s statement said: “The definition of defence spending will be updated to recognise what our security and intelligence agencies do to boost our security, as well as our military. This change means that the UK will now spend 2.6% of GDP on defence in 2027.” 

It’s not clear, however, if this change in the UK’s definition of defence spending correlates with NATO’s definition of qualifying spend. We’ve asked the MOD about this.