Defense Investment Plan: How much more is being spent and is the UK hitting its targets?

In the year

The Prime Minister also announced that the activities of the UK’s security and intelligence agencies will be earmarked for defense spending by 2027 – NATO. As a result, spending will reach 2.6 percent of GDP by 2027.

The Prime Minister also has a “clear desire” to increase spending to 3% of GDP in the “next Parliament”.

At the NATO summit in The Hague in June 2025, the UK and other members pledged to spend 5% of GDP on defense and security, with 3.5% for NATO-qualified “main defence” by 2035.

Alliance members agreed to spend the remaining 5% (1.5% of GDP) on “protecting critical infrastructure, protecting networks, ensuring citizen readiness and resilience, innovating and strengthening the defense industrial base.”

Sir Kiir said on Tuesday that the steps in the DIP “will take us to 4.2% of this commitment”.