UK commits to 2.7% defence spending by 2027/28, exceeding NATO's old 2% floor

Prime Minister Keir Starmer published the Defence Investment Plan on 30 June, setting NATO-qualifying defence spending at 2.7% of GDP by 2027/28 — well above the longstanding 2% benchmark but short of NATO's evolving 3.5% target. A £15 billion new funding boost underpins the trajectory, with the government projecting nearly 60,000 jobs across UK industry.