SIPRI Fact Sheets

The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2015–19 was 5.5 per cent higher than in 2010–14 and 20 per cent higher than in 2005–2009. The five largest exporters in 2015–19 were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. The five largest importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China. Between 2010–14 and 2015–19, there were increases in arms transfers to the Middle East and to Europe, while there were decreases in the transfers to Africa, the Americas and Asia and Oceania.

Arms sales of the world’s 100 largest arms-producing and military services companies (the SIPRI Top 100) were $420 billion in 2018. This was an increase of 4.6 per cent compared with total Top 100 arms sales for 2017.

This Fact Sheet lists the SIPRI Top 100 for 2018 from the updated SIPRI Arms Industry Database and describes the trends in international arms sales that are revealed by the new data.

Tense relations between Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are a major cause for concern regarding stability, security and peace in the Gulf region and in the Middle East more generally. These states seek to play a major role in the Middle East and use arms as a key tool in the pursuit of this aim.

World military expenditure is estimated to have been $1822 billion in 2018. It was 2.6 per cent higher in real terms than in 2017 and 5.4 per cent higher than in 2009. Global military spending has been gradually rising following a post-2009 low in 2014. It is now 76 per cent higher than the post-cold war low in 1998.

The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2014–18 was 7.8 per cent higher than in 2009–13 and 23 per cent higher than in 2004–2008. The five largest exporters in 2014–18 were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. The five largest importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria.

The flow of arms to the Middle East increased by 87 per cent between 2009–13 and 2014–18, while there was a decrease in flows to all other regions.

Arms sales of the world’s 100 largest arms-producing and military services companies (the SIPRI Top 100) totalled $398.2 billion in 2017. This was an increase of 2.5 per cent compared with 2016 and marks the third consecutive year of growth in Top 100 arms sales.

This Fact Sheet lists the SIPRI Top 100 for 2017 from the updated SIPRI Arms Industry Database and describes the trends in international arms sales that are revealed by the new data.

World military expenditure is estimated to have reached $1739 billion in 2017, the highest level since the end of the cold war. After 13 consecutive years of increases from 1999 to 2011 and relatively unchanged spending from 2012 to 2016, total global expenditure rose marginally in 2017, by 1.1 per cent in real terms. This Fact Sheet highlights the regional and national trends in 2017 and over the decade 2008–17 shown by new data from the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database.

The volume of international transfers of major weapons in 2013–17 was 10 per cent higher than in 2008–12. This is a continuation of the upward trend that began in the early 2000s. The flow of arms to the Middle East and Asia and Oceania increased between 2008–12 and 2013–17, while there was a decrease in the flow to the Americas, Africa and Europe.

Climate change poses a new class of security challenges that is confronting societies worldwide. Increased risk of famine, destroyed infrastructure, houses and shelter, and violent conflicts might all be consequences of climate change through gradual changes to ecosystems and extreme weather events. As a way to mitigate these challenges, states have delegated increased power to intergovernmental organizations (IGOs).

This Fact Sheet lists the SIPRI Top 100 for 2016 from the updated SIPRI Arms Industry Database and describes the trends in international arms sales that are revealed by the new data.