SIPRI Fact Sheet

March 2024

TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL KEY FACTS

ș The volume of international
ARMS TRANSFERS, 2023 transfers of major arms in
2019–23 was 3.3 per cent lower
than in 2014–18 and 3.3 per cent
pieter d. wezeman, katarina djokic, mathew george, higher than in 2009–13.
zain hussain and siemon t. wezeman
ș The five largest exporters
were the United States, France,
Russia, China and Germany.
Imports of major arms by states in Europe increased by 94 per cent between ș Arms exports by the USA
2014–18 and 2019–23, while the global volume of international arms trans­ went up by 17 per cent between
fers decreased marginally, by 3.3 per cent (see figure 1).1 There were overall 2014–18 and 2019–23, while
decreases in arms transfers to all other regions, but states in Asia and Oceania those by Russia went down by
and the Middle East continued to import arms in much larger volumes than 53 per cent. France’s exports
those in Europe. Nine of the 10 biggest arms importers in 2019–23, including rose by 47 per cent and it moved
the top 3 of India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, were in Asia and Oceania or the just ahead of Russia to become
Middle East. Ukraine became the fourth biggest arms importer globally after the world’s second largest arms
it received transfers of major arms from over 30 states in 2022–23. exporter.
Arms exports by the United States, the world’s largest arms supplier, rose ș The five largest arms
by 17 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while those by Russia fell by importers in 2019–23 were
more than half (–53 per cent). France’s arms exports grew by 47 per cent India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Ukraine and Pakistan.
and it moved just ahead of Russia to become the world’s second largest arms
supplier. ș States in Asia and Oceania
From 11 March 2024 the freely available SIPRI Arms Transfers Data­base accounted for 37 per cent of
all arms imports in 2019–23,
includes updated data on transfers of major arms for 1950–2023, which
followed by states in the
replaces all previous data on arms transfers published by SIPRI. Based on
Middle East (30 per cent),
Europe (21 per cent), the
50 Americas (5.7 per cent) and
Africa (4.3 per cent).
40 ș Arms imports by states in
(billions of trend-indicator values)

Europe were 94 per cent higher

Volume of arms transfers

in 2019–23 than in 2014–18.

30
A total of 55 per cent of
European arms imports came
20 from the USA in 2019–23,
compared with 35 per cent in
2014–18.
10
ș The largest importer in
Europe was Ukraine, which
0
3 3 3
received 23 per cent of the
88 3 98 08 8
4– –9 – 00 20 –1 –1 –2
19
8
19
89
19
94 9–2 4– 20
09
20
14
20
19 region’s total arms imports
199 20
0
in 2019–23.
Figure 1. The trend in international transfers of major arms, 1984–2023
Note: The bar graph shows the average annual volume of arms transfers for 5-year periods
and the line graph shows the annual totals. The SIPRI trend-indicator value (TIV) is a
measure of the volume of inter­national transfers of major arms. The method used for the
SIPRI TIV is described on the Arms Transfers Database web page.
Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.

1 In this fact sheet the terms ‘arms exports’ and ‘arms imports’ are used to refer to international
transfers of major arms, as defined by SIPRI.
 2 sipri fact sheet

Table 1. The 25 largest exporters of major arms and their main recipients, 2019–23
Percentages below 10 are rounded to 1 decimal place; percentages over 10 are rounded to whole numbers.
Per cent
Share of global change from Main recipients and their share of exporter’s total exports (%),
arms exports (%) 2014–18 to 2019–23
Exporter 2019–23 2014–18 2019–23 a 1st 2nd 3rd
1 United States 42 34 17 Saudi Arabia 15 Japan 9.5 Qatar 8.2
2 France 11 7.2 47 India 29 Qatar 17 Egypt 6.4
3 Russia 11 21 –53 India 34 China 21 Egypt 7.5
4 China 5.8 5.9 –5.3 Pakistan 61 Bangladesh 11 Thailand 6.0
5 Germany 5.6 6.3 –14 Egypt 20 Ukraine 12 Israel 12
6 Italy 4.3 2.2 86 Qatar 27 Egypt 21 Kuwait 13
7 United Kingdom 3.7 4.1 –14 Qatar 23 USA 20 Ukraine 8.5
8 Spain 2.7 2.7 –3.3 Saudi Arabia 21 Australia 20 Türkiye 18
9 Israel 2.4 3.1 –25 India 37 Philippines 12 USA 8.7
10 South Korea 2.0 1.7 12 Poland 27 Philippines 19 India 15
11 Türkiye 1.6 0.7 106 UAE 15 Qatar 13 Pakistan 11
12 Netherlands 1.2 2.2 –46 USA 28 Mexico 12 Pakistan 8.6
13 Sweden 0.8 0.7 15 Brazil 22 USA 20 Pakistan 20
14 Poland 0.7 0.1 1 138 Ukraine 96 Sweden 2.1 India 0.6
15 Canada 0.6 0.5 20 Saudi Arabia 37 Ukraine 22 UAE 15
16 Australia 0.6 0.3 88 Canada 32 Chile 28 USA 11
17 Switzerland 0.5 1.0 –47 Denmark 17 Spain 16 Australia 16
18 Ukraine 0.4 1.4 –73 China 59 Saudi Arabia 12 India 11
19 Norway 0.4 0.4 –16 USA 26 Ukraine 20 Lithuania 9.9
20 UAE 0.3 0.4 –24 Jordan 33 Egypt 26 Algeria 10
21 South Africa 0.3 0.3 3.0 USA 24 UAE 23 India 13
22 Belgium 0.3 <0.05 430 Saudi Arabia 38 Canada 25 Pakistan 22
23 Belarus 0.2 0.4 –34 Viet Nam 30 Serbia 22 Uganda 17
24 Brazil 0.2 0.2 –3.5 France 28 Nigeria 16 Portugal 16
25 Iran 0.2 0.1 276 Russia 75 Venezuela 16 Houthisb 7.4
UAE = United Arab Emirates.
a Figures show the change in volume of the total arms exports per exporter between the two periods.
b These exports went to the Houthi non-state armed group based in Yemen.

Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.

the new data, this fact sheet presents global trends in arms exports and arms
imports, and highlights selected issues related to transfers of major arms.

THE EXPORTERS, 2019–23

SIPRI has identified 66 states as exporters of major arms in 2019–23. The five
largest exporters of arms during that period—the USA, France, Russia, China
and Germany—accounted for 75 per cent of all arms exports (see figure 2 and
table 1). US and French arms exports rose between 2014–18 and 2019–23,
while Russian, Chinese and German arms exports fell (see figure 3). The USA
and states in Western Europe together accounted for 72 per cent of all arms
exports in 2019–23, compared with 62 per cent in 2014–18.
 trends in international arms tr ansfers, 2023 3

The United States

Others
10%
The USA’s arms exports grew South Korea
2.0%
by 17 per cent between 2014–18
Israel
and 2019–23 and its share of total 2.4%
global arms exports rose from Spain
2.7%
34 per cent to 42 per cent. The USA United Kingdom
delivered major arms to 107 states 3.7% United States
42%
in 2019–23, which was more than Italy
4.3%
the next two biggest exporters
combined. The volume of arms Germany
exported by the USA in 2019–23 5.6%

was 282 per cent higher than that

of France, the second biggest arms China
5.8%
exporter globally.
In 2019–23 the largest share of
US arms exports went to states in Russia
11%
the Middle East (38 per cent). This France
11%
was a much smaller proportion
than in 2014–18 (50 per cent), after Figure 2. Global share of exports of major arms by the 10 largest exporters,
an 11 per cent decrease in US arms 2019–23
exports to the region between the Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.
two periods. Four Middle Eastern
states were among the top 10
recipients of US arms in 2019–23:
United States 17
Saudi Arabia accounted for 15 per
cent of US arms exports, Qatar for France 47
8.2 per cent, Kuwait for 4.5 per
Russia –53
cent and Israel for 3.6 per cent.
US arms exports to states in Asia China –5.3
and Oceania increased by 14 per
Germany –14
cent overall between 2014–18 and
2019–23, with the region account­ Italy 86

ing for 31 per cent of all US arms

United Kingdom –14
exports in 2019–23, roughly the
same proportion as in 2014–18. Spain –3.3
Three states in the region were
Israel –25
among the 10 largest recipients
of US arms in 2019–23: Japan South Korea 12

accounted for 9.5 per cent of all US –60 –50 –40 –30 –20 –10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
arms exports, Australia for 7.1 per Change in volume of arms exports (%)
cent and South Korea for 5.3 per
cent. There were increases in US Figure 3. Changes in volume of exports of major arms since 2014–18 by the
arms exports to Japan (+161 per 10 largest exporters in 2019–23
cent), South Korea (+35 per cent) Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.
and Australia (+9.2 per cent)
between 2014–18 and 2019–23,
which were mainly driven by a perception of a growing threat from China
shared by all three recipients and the USA.
 4 sipri fact sheet

Box 1. Selected major arms on order or preselected for future orders from the 10 largest arms exporters, for delivery
after 2023
It is very difficult to make predictions about future trends in arms transfers. Nevertheless, data on orders and final negotiations of
orders can give a rough indication of which states will be among the largest exporters in coming years. The data on combat aircraft
and major warships, which have a notably high military value, is particularly telling. As the table below shows, the United States
will continue to be by far the largest exporter of major arms beyond 2023. What the future holds for other top suppliers is less
certain, but France, which became the second largest arms exporter in the world in 2019–23, also has relatively high numbers of
pending deliveries of combat aircraft and major warships compared with most other suppliers.

United United South

States France Russia China Germany Italy Kingdom Spain Israel Korea
Combat aircraft a 1 071 223 78 94 – 52 8 – 18 142
Combat helicopters 390 1 – – – 31 – – – –
Major warships b 8 20 5 8 25 8 32 1 – 6
SAM systems c 35 2 16+ 2 37+ – – – 30+ 10+
Tanks 561 – 464 566 241 98 – – 19 972
Other armoured vehicles 2 848+ 498 8 1 1 314 1 757 20 558 45+ 609+
Artillery 718 141 – 126+ 31 – – 12 95+ 1 233+
– nil; SAM = surface-to-air missile.
a Combat aircraft here include combat/trainer aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
b Major warships here include aircraft carriers, corvettes, destroyers, frigates and submarines.
c SAM systems here include only land-based systems and exclude systems for portable/very short-range SAMs.

Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.

A total of 28 per cent of US arms exports went to states in Europe in

2019–23, which was up from 11 per cent in 2014–18. US arms exports to the
region increased by just over 200 per cent between the two periods. Ukraine
accounted for 4.7 per cent of all US arms exports and 17 per cent of those to
Europe.
Deliveries of combat aircraft typically make up a significant part of the
USA’s total arms exports. It delivered 420 combat aircraft in 2019–23. Of
these, 249 were advanced F-35 aircraft, which were delivered to a total of
10 states and accounted for 24 per cent of all US arms exports. The USA
has many pending arms export deliveries, including a total of 1071 combat
aircraft (see box 1), of which 785 are F-35s.

France

France narrowly overtook Russia to become the world’s second largest

exporter of major arms in 2019–23. French arms exports represented 11 per
cent of all arms transfers in this period, having increased by 47 per cent
between 2014–18 and 2019–23. France delivered major arms to 64 states in
2019–23, but India was by far the largest recipient, accounting for 29 per cent
of French arms exports.
The bulk of France’s arms exports in 2019–23 went to states in Asia and
Oceania (42 per cent of arms exports) and the Middle East (34 per cent).
France has been trying to expand its arms sales to other European states for
many years; however, its exports to states in Europe in 2019–23 accounted for
only 9.1 per cent of its total arms exports. More than half of its European arms
exports (53 per cent) went to Greece, mostly made up of transfers of 17 Rafale
combat aircraft.
 trends in international arms tr ansfers, 2023 5

A sharp rise in deliveries of Rafale combat aircraft accounted for most of

the growth in French arms exports in 2019–23. France exported 23 Rafales in
2014–18. This increased to 94 in 2019–23, representing just under one third
(31 per cent) of French arms exports in the period. A further 193 Rafales were
on order for export as at the end of 2023. However, most of the aircraft France
has already delivered (96 out of 117) and those on order (178 out of 193) are for
states outside Europe—Egypt, India, Indonesia, Qatar and the United Arab
Emirates. This highlights the chal­lenge France still faces in selling its major
arms to European states, especially in the con­text of the strong competition
from the USA. Notably, 8 out of the 10 Euro­pean states that preselected or
ordered combat aircraft in 2019–23 opted for US F-16s or F-35s, with only
Croatia and Greece opting for the Rafale.
In addition to building up its sales of combat aircraft, France increased
its exports of military ships (and the weapons to arm them) by 14 per cent
between 2014–18 and 2019–23.

Russia

Russia’s arms exports fell by 53 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23 and it
accounted for 11 per cent of total global arms exports. It delivered major arms
to 41 states and 1 non-state armed group in 2019–23.
In 2019 the annual volume of Russian arms exports was at a similar level
to that in each of the preceding 20 years. However, the export volumes in
2020, 2021 and 2022 were at much lower levels than in 2019, and in 2023 the
volume was 52 per cent lower than in 2022. Another indication of the decline
of Russia as a global supplier of arms is that whereas 31 states received major
arms from Russia in 2019, only 14 did in 2022 and that number fell to 12 in
2023.
States in Asia and Oceania received 68 per cent of total Russian arms exports
in 2019–23, while Middle Eastern and African states received 13 per cent and
10 per cent respectively. Just under two thirds of Russian arms exports went
to three states in 2019–23: India (34 per cent), China (21 per cent) and Egypt
(7.5 per cent). India was also the largest recipient of Russian arms in 2014–18,
but exports to India decreased by 34 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23,
while exports to China decreased by 39 per cent and to Egypt by 54 per cent.
Algeria and Viet Nam were the third and fourth largest recipients of Russian
arms in 2014–18; however, exports to Algeria (–83 per cent) and Viet Nam
(–91 per cent) dropped significantly between the two periods.
The low volume of pending deliveries of major arms from Russia (see box 1)
suggests that Russian arms exports are likely to remain well below the level
reached in 2014–18, for at least the short term.

Other major exporters

China accounted for 5.8 per cent of total global arms exports in 2019–23. Its
arms exports decreased by 5.3 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23. The
bulk of Chinese arms exports (85 per cent) went to states in Asia and Oceania,
followed by states in Africa (9.9 per cent). China delivered major arms to
40 states in 2019–23, but well over half of its arms exports (61 per cent) went
to just one state—Pakistan.
 6 sipri fact sheet

Table 2. The 40 largest importers of major arms and their main suppliers, 2019–23
Percentages below 10 are rounded to 1 decimal place; percentages over 10 are rounded to whole numbers.
Per cent
Share of global change from Main suppliers and their share of importer’s total imports (%),
arms imports (%)2014–18 to 2019–23
Rank Importer 2019–23 2014–18 2019–23 a 1st 2nd 3rd
1 India 9.8 9.1 4.7 Russia 36 France 33 USA 13
2 Saudi Arabia 8.4 11 –28 USA 75 France 7.6 Spain 7.0
3 Qatar 7.6 1.5 396 USA 45 France 25 Italy 15
4 Ukraine 4.9 0.1 6 633 USA 39 Germany 14 Poland 13
5 Pakistan 4.3 2.9 43 China 82 Sweden 4.0 Türkiye 3.8
6 Japan 4.1 1.5 155 USA 97 UK 1.8 Germany 0.4
7 Egypt 4.0 5.3 –26 Germany 27 Italy 22 Russia 20
8 Australia 3.7 4.6 –21 USA 80 Spain 15 Switzerland 2.3
9 South Korea 3.1 2.8 6.5 USA 72 Germany 15 France 9.3
10 China 2.9 4.9 –44 Russia 77 France 13 Ukraine 8.2
11 United States 2.8 1.6 67 UK 25 Netherlands 12 France 10
12 Kuwait 2.7 1.0 169 USA 70 Italy 20 France 8.6
13 United Kingdom 2.4 1.6 41 USA 89 South Korea 4.0 Israel 2.7
14 UAE 2.4 3.3 –31 USA 57 Türkiye 9.9 France 9.2
15 Israel 2.1 2.0 5.1 USA 69 Germany 30 Italy 0.9
16 Netherlands 1.9 0.2 751 USA 99 Finland 0.6 Germany 0.6
17 Türkiye 1.6 2.2 –29 Spain 31 Italy 23 Russia 15
18 Norway 1.6 0.8 92 USA 89 South Korea 4.8 Italy 3.6
19 Poland 1.6 0.4 253 USA 45 South Korea 34 UK 4.4
20 Singapore 1.5 1.3 17 Germany 32 France 27 USA 26
21 Algeria 1.1 4.8 –77 Russia 48 Germany 15 China 14
22 Philippines 1.0 0.5 105 South Korea 37 Israel 28 USA 14
23 Indonesia 1.0 2.4 –60 USA 27 South Korea 18 France 17
24 Italy 0.9 1.4 –37 USA 95 Germany 1.8 France 1.4
25 Greece 0.9 0.9 –4.2 France 58 USA 21 UK 11
26 Bangladesh 0.9 1.2 –31 China 72 Türkiye 9.7 UK 5.5
27 Brazil 0.8 0.6 26 France 40 Sweden 23 Italy 13
28 Thailand 0.8 1.1 –30 China 44 South Korea 13 USA 9.9
29 Morocco 0.8 1.4 –46 USA 69 France 14 Israel 11
30 NATOb 0.7 <0.05 1 638 France 68 USA 17 UK 15
31 Bahrain 0.7 0.1 562 USA 93 Türkiye 3.0 Italy 1.9
32 Romania 0.6 0.2 180 USA 71 Switzerland 11 Portugal 6.3
33 Kazakhstan 0.6 0.9 –30 Russia 94 France 1.4 Spain 1.4
34 Germany 0.6 0.2 188 USA 63 Israel 16 UK 5.7
35 Canada 0.6 1.1 –44 Australia 32 USA 27 Spain 22
36 France 0.6 0.3 112 UK 38 USA 20 Italy 18
37 Denmark 0.6 0.3 99 USA 70 Switzerland 16 Germany 10
38 Myanmar 0.6 0.7 –20 Russia 38 China 26 India 18
39 New Zealand 0.5 0.1 338 USA 69 South Korea 12 UK 11
40 Belarus 0.5 0.4 30 Russia 100 .. .. .. ..
. . = data not available or not applicable; NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization; UAE = United Arab Emirates.
a Figures show the change in volume of the total arms imports per importer between the two periods.
b The data is for imports by the organization itself, not the total imports by NATO member states.

Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.

 trends in international arms tr ansfers, 2023 7

Arms exports by Germany made

up 5.6 per cent of the global total India
9.8%
in 2019–23. They were 14 per cent
lower than in 2014–18. States in the
Saudi Arabia
Middle East received the largest 8.4%
share of all German arms exports in
2019–23 (39 per cent), followed by
states in Asia and Oceania (28 per Qatar
cent) and Europe (25 per cent). Others 7.6%
47%
Italy accounted for 4.3 per cent
of the world’s arms exports in Ukraine
2019–23. Its arms exports were 4.9%

86 per cent higher in 2019–23 than Pakistan

4.3%
in 2014–18. A total of 71 per cent of Japan
4.1%
Italian arms exports went to the Egypt
Middle East. 4.0%
Australia
The 4 other suppliers making 3.7%
China South Korea
up the top 10 arms exporters in 2.9% 3.1%
2019–23 were the United King­
dom, Spain, Israel and South Figure 4. Global share of imports of major arms by the 10 largest importers,
Korea. Arms exports by the UK 2019–23
(–14 per cent), Spain (–3.3 per Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024.
cent) and Israel (–25 per cent) all
decreased between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while arms exports by South Korea
increased by 12 per cent.

THE IMPORTERS, 2019–23

SIPRI has identified 170 states as importers of major arms in 2019–23. The
top five arms importers—India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Ukraine and Pakistan—
received 35 per cent of all arms imports in the period (see figure 4 and table 2).
States in Asia and Oceania accounted for 37 per cent of all arms imports in
2019–23 (see figure 5), followed by states in the Middle East (30 per cent),
Europe (21 per cent), the Americas (5.7 per cent) and Africa (4.3 per cent).

Africa

Imports of major arms by African states fell by 52 per cent between 2014–18
and 2019–23, which was mainly due to decreases in the arms imports of the
two largest importers in the region, Algeria (–77 per cent) and Morocco
(–46 per cent). The main suppliers to Africa in 2019–23 were Russia, account­
ing for 24 per cent of African imports of major arms, the USA (16 per cent),
China (13 per cent) and France (10 per cent).

Sub-Saharan Africa
States in sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 2.2 per cent of all imports of major
arms in 2019–23. Their combined arms imports were 9.0 per cent lower than
in 2014–18. The three largest arms importers in the subregion in 2019–23
were Nigeria (with 16 per cent of sub-Saharan imports), Angola (9.2 per cent)
and Senegal (9.2 per cent).
 8 sipri fact sheet

Sub-Saharan Africa receives

Americas major arms from a diverse set of
5.7% Africa sup­pliers vying to build up influ­
4.3%
ence in the subregion. With a 19 per
cent share of subregional arms
2019–23 Asia and Oceania Middle East Europe
37% 30% 21% imports, China narrowly over­took
Russia, which had a 17 per cent
share, to become the largest sup­
plier of major arms to sub-Saharan
Africa in 2019–23. There were, how­
ever, notable decreases in imports
Asia and Oceania Middle East Europe Africa
2014–18
41% 33% 11% 8.8%
of arms from both China (–23 per
cent) and Russia (–44 per cent)
between 2014–18 and 2019–23.
Americas France was the third largest
5.9%
sup­plier to sub-Saharan Africa
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150
in 2019–23 and had an 11 per cent
Volume of arms transfers
(billions of trend-indicator values)
share of subregional arms imports.
Türkiye was the fourth largest
Figure 5. The importers of major arms, by region, 2019–23 and 2014–18, per cent sup­plier, with a share of 6.3 per
of global share cent, mostly due to its deliveries
Note: The SIPRI trend-indicator value (TIV) is a measure of the volume of international of combat helicopters to Nigeria
transfers of major arms. The method used for the SIPRI TIV is described on the Arms and trainer/combat aircraft and
Transfers Database web page. uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to
Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2024. several states.

The Americas

Arms imports by states in the Americas decreased by 7.2 per cent between
2014–18 and 2019–23. The USA (accounting for 50 per cent of the regional
total), Brazil (15 per cent) and Canada (11 per cent) were the top three
importers of major arms in the region in 2019–23. Canada’s arms imports
decreased by 44 per cent between the two periods, but it has large volumes
of arms on order, including 102 combat aircraft from the USA and 15 frigates
from the UK.
Arms imports by states in South America decreased by 19 per cent between
2014–18 and 2019–23. Brazil’s arms imports were 26 per cent higher than in
2014–18 and accounted for 44 per cent of the subregional total in 2019–23.
The main suppliers to South America in 2019–23 were France, providing
23 per cent of subregional imports, the USA (14 per cent) and the UK (12 per
cent). Russia did not deliver any major arms to South America in 2019–23.

Asia and Oceania

Arms imports by states in Asia and Oceania decreased by 12 per cent between
2014–18 and 2019–23, mainly because of a sharp drop in Chinese arms
imports. However, it remained the region with the highest volume of arms
imports and 6 of the world’s 10 largest arms importers in 2019–23 were in
Asia and Oceania: India, Pakistan, Japan, Australia, South Korea and China.
The main suppliers to the region were the USA, with a 34 per cent share of
regional imports, Russia (19 per cent) and China (13 per cent).
 trends in international arms tr ansfers, 2023 9

India and Pakistan

India’s tensions with Pakistan and China largely drive its arms imports.
India’s arms imports increased by 4.7 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23,
making it the world’s biggest arms importer in 2019–23 with a 9.8 per cent
share of all arms imports. Russia remained India’s main supplier, but its share
of Indian arms imports has shrunk from 76 per cent in 2009–13 to 58 per
cent in 2014–18 and then to 36 per cent in 2019–23. India has instead looked
to Western suppliers, most notably France and the USA, and its own arms
industry to meet its demand for major arms. This shift is also visible in India’s
new orders, many of which are placed with Western suppliers, and its arms
procurement plans, which seemingly do not include any Russian options.
Arms imports by Pakistan grew by 43 per cent between 2014–18 and
2019–23 and accounted for 4.3 per cent of the world total, making it the fifth
largest arms importer globally. Pakistan continued to strengthen its arms
procurement relations with China: 82 per cent of its arms imports came
from China in 2019–23, as against 69 per cent in 2014–18, and 51 per cent in
2009–13.

East Asia, Oceania and South East Asia

Arms imports by states in East Asia (–6.1 per cent), Oceania (–10 per cent)
and South East Asia (–43 per cent) decreased between 2014–18 and 2019–23.
China’s arms imports fell by 44 per cent and accounted for 2.9 per cent
of the global total in 2019–23. The vast majority of Chinese arms imports
(77 per cent) came from Russia. The drop in Chinese imports is due to China’s
growing ability to design and produce its own major arms. Its arms imports
will probably decrease further as it develops this capacity.
Japan and South Korea are expanding their military capabilities, mainly
because of tensions with China and North Korea. Japan (+155 per cent) and
South Korea (+6.5 per cent) increased their arms imports between 2014–18
and 2019–23. The USA is the main supplier to both states, accounting for
97 per cent of Japan’s arms imports and 72 per cent of South Korea’s. The
two states are investing heavily in long-range strike capabilities. The USA
supplied 29 combat aircraft to Japan and 34 to South Korea in 2019–23. Japan
also ordered 400 long-range land-attack missiles from the USA in 2023 (see
box 2). These will, for the first time, give Japan the capability to reach targets
deep inside China or North Korea.
Taiwan’s arms imports dropped by 69 per cent between 2014–18 and
2019–23 despite heightened tensions with China. However, major deliveries
are planned to take place over the next five years, including deliveries of
66 combat aircraft, 108 tanks and 460 anti-ship missiles. All these planned
deliveries are from the USA, which supplied over 99 per cent of Taiwanese
arms imports in 2019–23.
Australia was the eighth largest arms importer in 2019–23 after its arms
imports dropped by 21 per cent. However, in 2023 it reached an agreement
with the UK and the USA to import at least six nuclear-powered submarines.
Arms imports by South East Asian states fell by 43 per cent between
2014–18 and 2019–23. However, tensions, mainly with China, continue to
drive arms acquisitions by many states in the subregion. For example, arms
imports by the Philippines (+105 per cent) and by Singapore (+17 per cent)
increased between the two periods. In addition, Indonesia, Malaysia and
 10 sipri fact sheet

Box 2. Transfers of long-range missiles

Long-range missiles, which here refer to those with a range of over 250 kilometres, are regularly used in combat and are widely
perceived as valuable components of long-range land-attack capabilities and conventional deterrence. At the same time, there are
concerns about the impact of missile proliferation on international stability. Despite these concerns, the numbers of recipients
and suppliers of such missiles have grown notably during the past decade, which is particularly visible in trends in deliveries of
land-attack missiles with a range of 250–999 km. Twelve states received such missiles from 7 supplier states in 2004–13, whereas
21 states and 1 non-state group received them from 12 supplier states in 2014–23. Data on the total numbers supplied is uncertain,
but SIPRI estimates that in each period around 2200 missiles were delivered.
In the category of land-attack missiles with a range of 1000 km or more, an increase in demand is visible when comparing the
numbers of orders between the two decades. The only order identified by SIPRI for such missiles in 2004–13 was placed by the
United Kingdom, for 68 missiles from the United States. In 2014–23 eight states ordered or preselected such missiles, all from the
USA. The UK ordered another 20 missiles in 2014 and Poland ordered 60 in 2016. In 2023 Japan ordered 400 and planned to order
50 more, while Australia ordered over 300, Finland 200 and Germany 75. Canada and the Netherlands have also decided to acquire
them.

Singapore all placed substantial orders for combat aircraft and ships in
2019–23. Myanmar, which accounted for 10 per cent of all South East Asian
imports, used imported major arms in internal conflicts in 2019–23. Its arms
imports in the period mainly came from Russia (38 per cent), China (26 per
cent) and India (18 per cent).

Europe

Arms imports by states in Europe were 94 per cent higher in 2019–23 than
in 2014–18. Ukraine received 23 per cent of the region’s arms imports in
2019–23. It was, by far, the largest arms importer in Europe and the fourth
largest in the world. The UK, which accounted for 11 per cent of European
arms imports, and the Netherlands (9.0 per cent) were the next biggest arms
importers in the region. A total of 55 per cent of European arms imports came
from the USA in 2019–23, compared with 35 per cent in 2014–18. The next
largest suppliers to the region were Germany and France, which accounted
for 6.4 per cent and 4.6 per cent of European arms imports respectively.

Arms imports and the war in Ukraine

At least 30 states supplied major arms to Ukraine after the full-scale Russian
invasion in February 2022, mostly as military aid, meaning that Ukraine was
by some distance the world’s largest arms importer in the year 2023. The
USA supplied 39 per cent of Ukrainian arms imports in 2019–23, followed by
Germany (14 per cent) and Poland (13 per cent). To broaden Ukraine’s mili­
tary capabilities, suppliers began to deliver long-range systems in 2023. For
example, Poland and Slovakia donated 27 surplus combat aircraft, and France
and the UK supplied missiles with a range of 300 kilometres. During the year,
Belgium, Denmark, the Nether­lands and Norway also started to prepare the
delivery of over 50 surplus combat aircraft.
Russia relies primarily on its own industry for its major arms. However, in
2022–23 it imported flying bombs from Iran and ballistic missiles from North
Korea, the latter in violation of a United Nations arms embargo on North
Korea.
 trends in international arms tr ansfers, 2023 11

West and Central European states

Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014 increased the demand for arms
in West and Central European states. For example, by the end of 2023 these
states had a total of 791 combat aircraft and combat helicopters on order
for import. After it launched the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia began
a campaign of missile attacks against Ukraine. In response, many West and
Central European states supplied air defence systems to Ukraine and several
placed new import orders for them or accelerated existing procurement
processes. In 2023 Poland ordered 12 air defence systems from the USA, and
Germany ordered a single but particularly high-value system from Israel. In
2022–23 Austria, Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia ordered air defence systems
from Germany, while Finland and Slovakia ordered Israeli systems, and
Lithuania and the Netherlands ordered Norwegian systems. In addition,
some states ordered missiles for systems being produced domestically or to
arm newly acquired imports or their existing systems. For example, in 2023
Poland and Norway ordered missiles from the UK and the USA, respectively,
for their new systems, while Germany ordered 500 missiles and Romania
200, all from the USA, for their existing systems.

The Middle East

Arms imports by states in the Middle East were 12 per cent lower in 2019–23
than in 2014–18. Three of the top 10 arms importers in 2019–23 were in the
Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. The USA accounted for 52 per
cent of Middle Eastern arms imports. The next biggest suppliers were France
(12 per cent), Italy (10 per cent) and Germany (7.1 per cent).

The Gulf region

Saudi Arabia was the world’s second largest arms importer in 2019–23, with
an 8.4 per cent share of all arms imports. Its arms imports fell by 28 per cent
after peaking at their highest point ever in 2014–18. The USA supplied 75 per
cent of Saudi Arabian arms imports in 2019–23, which included the delivery
of 67 combat aircraft and hundreds of land-attack missiles.
Qatar was the third largest arms importer in the world, with a global share
of 7.6 per cent, as its arms imports increased by 396 per cent between 2014–18
and 2019–23. Its main suppliers in 2019–23 were the USA, which accounted
for 45 per cent of Qatari arms imports, France (25 per cent) and Italy (15 per
cent). Qatar’s arms imports in the period included 36 combat aircraft from
France, 36 from the USA and 25 from the UK, as well as 4 frigates from Italy.
Iran’s arms imports have been at a very low level relative to those of other
arms importers in the Gulf region since around 1993. In 2023 Iran placed by
far its largest import order for major arms in 20 years, for 24 combat aircraft
from Russia.

Israel
Between 2014–18 and 2019–23, arms imports by Israel rose marginally
(+5.1 per cent). The USA accounted for 69 per cent and Germany for 30 per
cent of Israeli arms imports. Imported weapons, in particular combat aircraft
received from the USA over several decades, have played a major role in
Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah. At the end of 2023 the
SIPRI is an independent USA rapidly delivered thousands of guided bombs and missiles to Israel, but
international institute the total volume of Israeli arms imports from the USA in 2023 was almost
dedicated to research into the same as in 2022. By the end of 2023, pending deliveries of major arms
conflict, armaments, arms to Israel included 61 combat aircraft from the USA and 4 submarines from
control and disarmament.
Germany.
Established in 1966, SIPRI
provides data, analysis and Egypt
recommendations, based on
open sources, to policymakers, Egypt’s arms imports decreased by 26 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23,
researchers, media and the having previously increased by 209 per cent between 2009–13 and 2014–18.
interested public. It moved from being the third largest importer globally in 2014–18 to seventh
in 2019–23. Its main supplier in 2019–23 was Germany, accounting for 27 per
GOVERNING BOARD
cent of Egyptian arms imports, followed by Italy (22 per cent), Russia (20 per
cent), France (17 per cent) and the USA (6.5 per cent). Against the back­drop
Stefan Löfven, Chair (Sweden) of Egypt’s tensions with Ethiopia over water from the river Nile, its mili­tary
Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas presence in Sudan and maritime disputes in the eastern Mediterranean,
(Ghana)
Egypt has significantly strengthened its long-range military capabilities. In
Ambassador Chan Heng Chee
2019–23 its imports included 3 frigates and 2 submarines from Germany;
(Singapore)
Jean-Marie Guéhenno (France)
2 frigates from Italy; 20 combat aircraft from Russia; and 3 frigates and long-
Dr Radha Kumar (India) range missiles from France. These added to imports in 2014–18 that included
Dr Patricia Lewis (Ireland/ 23 combat aircraft and 2 frigates from France; 30 combat aircraft from Russia;
United Kingdom) 2 submarines from Germany; and 12 combat air­craft and 2 corvettes from
Dr Jessica Tuchman Mathews the USA. By the end of 2023, Egypt’s pending deliveries included 30 combat
(United States) aircraft from France and 1 frigate from Germany.

DIRECTOR
Dan Smith (United Kingdom) About SIPRI’s data on arms transfers
SIPRI’s statistical data on arms transfers relates to actual deliveries of major arms,
as defined by SIPRI. SIPRI measures the volume of international transfers of major
arms using a common unit—the trend-indicator value (TIV). The methodology for the
SIPRI TIV is described on the Arms Transfers Database web page.
As the volume of deliveries can fluctuate significantly year-on-year, SIPRI presents
data for five-year periods, giving a more stable measure of trends. Percentage shares
presented in this SIPRI Fact Sheet do not always add up to 100 per cent or to stated
totals because of the conventions of rounding.
The SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, accessible on the SIPRI website, is the only
public resource that provides consistent information, often estimates, on all inter­
national transfers of major arms (including sales, gifts and production under licence)
to states, inter­national organizations and non-state groups since 1950. For a list of
states in each region see the ‘Regional coverage’ page of SIPRI’s website. The data­base
aims to contribute to an understanding of the effects of arms flows on peace, stability
and violent conflict. This fact sheet is intended to encourage the use of the database for
further research, investigations, policymaking and public debate.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Pieter D. Wezeman (Netherlands/Sweden) is a Senior Researcher with the SIPRI
Arms Transfers Programme. Katarina Djokic (Serbia) is a Researcher, Dr Mathew
George (India) is the Director, Zain Hussain (United Kingdom) is a Researcher, and
Signalistgatan 9
Siemon T. Wezeman (Netherlands) is a Senior Researcher with the programme.
SE-169 72 Solna, Sweden
Telephone: +46 8 655 97 00
Email: [email protected]
Internet: www.sipri.org © SIPRI 2024