Relationship dossier
Australia
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Australia and the United Kingdom maintain a close partnership spanning defense, intelligence and trade.
Australia toward United Kingdom
+70Australia has pursued close defense cooperation with the United Kingdom through bilateral defense arrangements and AUKUS, the trilateral partnership announced in 2021 that includes plans for Australia to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. Australia also concluded a bilateral free trade agreement with the UK.
United Kingdom toward Australia
+70The United Kingdom has pursued close defense cooperation with Australia through bilateral arrangements and AUKUS, announced in 2021, which includes UK support for Australia's future nuclear-powered submarine capability. The UK also concluded a bilateral free trade agreement with Australia.
Overall relationship
+75The enduring relationship combines close security and intelligence cooperation with an expanding economic framework. AUKUS and bilateral defense arrangements give the partnership strategic depth, while the free trade agreement adds a durable economic dimension. These major cooperative features characterize the bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Australia and the United Kingdom maintain a close, sustained partnership grounded in defense and intelligence cooperation, reinforced by AUKUS and a bilateral free trade agreement. Their governments have also developed extensive defense cooperation through bilateral arrangements. The relationship is not free of policy differences, but its major features are durable cooperation across security and economic affairs.
Key developments
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced AUKUS, including a plan to support Australia's acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.
Australia and the United Kingdom signed a bilateral free trade agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which AUKUS projects will proceed on their planned timelines remains uncertain.
- The practical effects of the free trade agreement on bilateral trade and investment are still developing.