United Kingdom’s defense expenditures up by 14% in past decade

The United Kingdom’s defense expenditures grew by 14% between 2012 and 2022, but London’s geopolitical rivals have posted an even higher growth in their military spending, according to The Times newspaper, Report informs via TASS.

According to the article, Iran’s military budget grew by 57%, China’s - by 60% and Russia’s - by 34% in the reported period.

The United Kingdom’s military budget for the next year, approved in October, stood at roughly $71.3 billion, which is half of what Russia plans to spend for its defense needs.

Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London planned to raise military expenditures to 2.5% of the GDP in the future, but gave no exact timeframes. Currently, the country’s defense budget equals roughly 2.3% of its GDP.