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The Ireland Question
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Security & defence◐ Partly answered

How much does the UK spend on protecting Northern Ireland?

Short answer

There is no single published figure. Defence and national security are paid for UK-wide, and official statistics share that spending across the UK by population.

What we know Fact

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What is still unclear Interpretation

A full cost of protecting Northern Ireland, including MI5, defence and specialist support, is not published as one number.

Sources

  1. House of Commons Library: Country and regional public sector finances
  2. HM Treasury: Country and regional analysis

Last checked 4 October 2026 · Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.