The defence, security and resilience sectors added £26.7 billion to the UK economy last year, an increase of 93% on the same period a decade ago.
Trade association ADS also notes that the sectors generated £25.4 billion in exports in 2024, an increase of 105% since 2014.
The figures released at DSEI UK 2025 in London (September 9-12) – also highlight the direct employment of 330,000 people in defence and security, identified as growth-driving sectors in the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
With a focus on driving innovation and security alongside prosperity, productivity is up a quarter, with workers generating approximately £81,000 of output each year.
ADS CEO Kevin Craven (pictured) commented: “The primary purpose of defence and security is to protect and deter – but in the process, the value we provide to the economy is increasingly critical to innovation and prosperity. The significant growth we have observed over the past decade reflects industries that are agile, innovative, and increasingly vital to national prosperity and enabling wider society to prosper. As we gather at DSEI, it’s clear that strategic investment and policy clarity will be key to unlocking even greater potential in the years ahead.”
He continued, “Government’s support to our industries has been clear, and we look forward to working in partnership with them to realise the ambitions outlined in recent publications. Headline data further outlines that turnover in the defence and security sectors has now reached £60.4 billion, an 95% increase in revenue compared to 2014 figures.”
