HL Deb 20 March 1979 vol 399 cc1143-4WA
The Earl of SELKIRK

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, for each of the last 20 years, they can give the figures shown for 1978 on page 16 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1979 (Cmnd. 7474), viz:

  1. (1) Defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP;
  2. (2) Total defence expenditure; and
  3. (3) Per capita defence expenditure.

Lord STRABOLGI

The information relating to the United Kingdom is shown below. These figures are drawn from NATO sources. Prior to 1967 NATO measured defence expenditure as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost, rather than as a percentage of gross domestic product at market prices, which is the present practice. The earlier years are, therefore, shown on the former basis.

Total Defence Expenditure US$ million(1) Per Capita Defence Expenditure US$(1) % GDP (MP) % GNP (FC)
1959 … 4,450 85 7.4
1960 … 4,640 88 7.3
1961 … 4,786 90 7.0
1962 … 5,078 95 7.1
1963 … 5,236 97 6.8
1964 … 5,599 104 6.8
1965 … 5,855 108 6.6
1966 … 6,030 110 6.5
1967 … 6,269 114 5.7
1968 … 5,597 101 5.4
1969 … 5,527 100 5.0
1970 … 5,865 106 4.8
1971 … 6,853 123 5.0
1972 … 8,146 146 5.2
1973 … 8,611 154 4.9
1974 … 9,735 174 5.1
1975 … 11,476 205 5.0
1976 … 11,075 198 5.0
1977 … 11,900 213 4.8
1978(2) … 14,100 252 4.7
(1)Current prices, current exchange rates.
(2)Provisional figures, as shown in Cmnd. 7474.