First published Oct 29, 2026, 9:19:15 AM UTC · Last updated Oct 29, 2026, 9:19:15 AM UTC

UK Government aims to spend 3% of GDP on defense by 2030, Chancellor says, but not everyone's convinced

The UK government aims to raise defense spending to 3% of economic output by 2030, with a path toward that goal to be set at a future spending review. The Chancellor said the increase would be pursued sustainably, potentially with some cuts elsewhere.

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Affected location: UK

Illustrative image: 01/10/2023. London, United Kingdom. Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan attends Day one of the UK AI Summit at Bletchley Park. Picture by Marcel Grabowski / UK Government/Identity — UK Government/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

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The target outlines a future defense-spending goal and possible trade-offs in government spending.

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MercoPress UK UK Government aims to spend 3% of GDP on defense by 2030, Chancellor says, but not everyone's convinced

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