India is the largest arms importer in the world. The five largest arms importers in 2018–22 are India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia, and China. These 5 countries together received 36 percent of the world’s arms imports, according to the SIPRI report.
India had the biggest percentage of the world’s arms imports at 11% in the last five years. Followed by Saudi Arabia (9.6%), Qatar (6.4%), Australia (4.7%), and China (4.7%).
The 5 Biggest weapon importers
- India -11%
- Saudi Arabia – 9.6%
- Qatar- 6.4 %
- Australia – 4.7%
- China -4.7 %
India remained still the world’s top importer of weaponry in 2022, despite a 21% decline in imports between 2012–16 and 2017–21. Six of the world’s 10 largest arms importers in 2018–22 were in Asia and Oceania: India, Australia, China, South Korea, Pakistan, and Japan.
The five largest arms importers in 2018–22, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia and China, together received 36 per cent of the world’s arms imports.
The main recipient region in 2018–22 was Asia and Oceania (accounting for 41 percent of global arms imports), followed by the Middle East (31 percent), Europe (16 percent), the Americas (5.8 percent), and Africa (5.0 percent).
The five largest arms exporters in 2018–22 were the United States, Russia, France, China, and Germany. Together, they supplied 76 percent of the world’s arms exports in 2018–22.
US arms exports accounted for 40 percent of the global total in 2018–22, which is 14 percent higher than in 2013–17. In the past five years, the US exported 40% of all military goods worldwide. Followed by Russia (16%), France (11%), China (5.2%), and Germany (4.2%), according to new Sipri data.
The 5 Biggest weapon exporters
- USA – 40%
- Russia – 16 %
- France – 11 %
- China- 5.2 %
- Germany – 4.2%
From 2013–17 and 2018–22, American armament exports increased by 14% while those of Russia decreased by 31%. France’s arms exports increased by 44% between 2013 and 2018 and received 30% of them from India over the previous five years.
The war in Ukraine had only a limited impact on the total volume of arms transfers in 2018–22, but Ukraine did become a major importer of arms in 2022.
The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2018–22 was 5.1 percent lower than in 2013–17 and 4.8 percent higher than in 2008–12.
