Global arms trade rose in 2021-25 as European demand surged
Ukraine was the world’s largest arms importer in 2021-25, accounting for 9.7% of the total
The global volume of transfers of major arms between states rose 9.2% in 2021-25 compared with 2016-20, the biggest increase since 2011-15, according to data released on Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The shift was driven above all by a sharp rise in European imports, which increased by 210% over the period and made Europe the world’s largest arms-importing region.
SIPRI said deliveries to Ukraine since 2022 were the most visible factor, but not the only one. “Most other European states have also started importing significantly more arms to shore up their military capabilities against a perceived growing threat from Russia,” said Mathew George, director of SIPRI’s Arms Transfers Programme. Europe accounted for 33% of global arms imports in 2021-25, up from 12% in the previous five-year period.
After Ukraine, the biggest importers in Europe were Poland and the United Kingdom. Almost half of all arms transferred to European states came from the United States, with a 48% share, followed by Germany with 7.1% and France with 6.2%. At the same time, the combined arms imports of the 29 current European NATO members grew by 143% between the two periods, with the United States as the main supplier, ahead of South Korea, Israel and France.
The United States also strengthened its lead as the world’s top arms exporter. Its exports rose 27% between 2016-20 and 2021-25, lifting its share of the global market from 36% to 42%, SIPRI said. For the first time in two decades, the largest share of U.S. arms exports went to Europe, at 38%, ahead of the Middle East at 33%. Saudi Arabia nevertheless remained the single largest recipient of U.S. weapons.
France remained the second largest exporter, with 9.8% of global exports and a 21% increase in sales. Its main destinations were India, Egypt and Greece. Russia ranked third, but with a 64% drop in exports and a reduced global share of 6.8%, down from 21% in the previous period. Germany overtook China to become the fourth largest exporter with 5.7% of the total, while Italy climbed to sixth place after a 157% rise in exports. Israel increased its global share to 4.4% and overtook the United Kingdom for the first time.
Ukraine was the world’s largest arms importer in 2021-25, accounting for 9.7% of the total. India ranked second, with a marginal 4% decline, and Saudi Arabia was third with 6.8%. In the Middle East, regional imports fell by 13%, while imports in the Americas rose 12%. In South America they increased by 31%, with Brazil accounting for 60% of the region’s imports and posting a 150% rise compared with the previous five-year period.
