International Arms Transfers: Review of SIPRI Report 2025

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SIPRI’s seminal annual report, “Trends In International Arms Transfers, 2025,” has seen an increase in volume of arms transfers by 9.2 percent during the period 2021-25 from the previous five­year period (2016–20). This is not surprising given the ongoing War in Ukraine and Israel campaigns in Gaza and the Middle East with launch of US attacks on Iran Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 along with Israel.

A part of the increase can be attributed to the general rearmament being undertaken in Europe to meet the Russia challenge and demands by the United States under the Trump Administration for increasing defence expenditure to 3 % of the GDP. Thus, arms imports by states in Europe more than trebled between the two periods (+210 per cent) while arms imports by states in the Americas also increased (+12 per cent) as per the Report.

Importantly there was a perceptible drop in the arms imports by states in Africa (–41 per cent), Asia and Oceania (–20 per cent) and the Middle East (–13 per cent). SIPRI’s report is based on the SIPRI Arms Transfers Database with updated data on transfers of major arms for 1950–2025.

While much was being made of preparing for the China “threat” by arming nations in the Indo Pacific, it is apparent that the European theatre has been the focus given developments since 2022 – start of the War in Ukraine. It is anticipated that this will remain so in the following years as well but a spike can be anticipated in acquisitions by the Middle East after the ongoing war between Iran and US-Israel combine.

Thus in 2021–25 Ukraine was the largest recipient of major arms in Europe (and the world), with a 9.7 per cent share of total global arms imports.

SIPRI records that since start of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 at least 36 states have supplied major arms to Ukraine.

The top three suppliers in 2021–25 were the USA (accounting for 41 per cent of Ukrainian arms imports), Germany (14 per cent) and Poland (9.4 per cent).

Case Asia and Oceania

The United States has continued to supply arms to the Indo Pacific marked in the Report as Asia and Oceania which accounted for 26 per cent of US arms exports in 2021–25 and remained at roughly the same level as in 2016–20 partly determined by its goal of containing China’s influence.

In this respect a point to note that three US allies in the region were among the 10 largest recipients of US arms in 2021–25: Japan (8.9 per cent of total US arms exports), Australia (5.6 per cent) and South Korea (3.9 per cent).

Taiwan despite all the flutter was the 16th largest recipient with a 1.9 per cent share.

In this context it should be noted that four of the world’s 10 largest recipients of major arms in 2021–25 were in Asia and Oceania: India (rank 2), Pakistan (rank 5), Japan (rank 6) and Australia (rank 10) as per the SIPRI Report.

The main suppliers to the region were the USA (accounting for 35 per cent of regional arms imports), Russia (17 per cent) and China (14 per cent).

Case India

Possibly much to the consternation of the Ministry of Defence in Delhi, India remained the world’s second largest recipient of major arms in 2021–25 with an 8.2 per cent share of total global arms imports. [A detailed Interview on the Indian enigma with Siemon T. Wezeman Senior Researcher SIPRI s with the programme Co Author of the Report follows shortly]

Tensions with China and Pakistan with a standoff existing on both the borders and lack of development of substantial indigenous defence industry are two important factors for this trend.

In a mark of indigenisation Indian arms imports fell by 4.0 per cent between 2016–20 and 2021–25 which is attributed by SIPRI to India’s ability to design and produce its own weapons. Interestingly “substantial delays in domestic production,” has also been remarked by SIPRI.

The Report also notes that, “India’s recent orders or planned orders—including up to 140 combat aircraft from France and 6 submarines from Germany—indicate its continued and probably increasing reliance on foreign suppliers”.

Reports in the Indian media which need to be confirmed also indicate that India is planning to order five batteries of the S 400 air and missile defence system from Russia ostensibly after its success in Operation Sindoor the clash with Pakistan in May 2025.

Despite this SIPRI notes that India has shifted its arms relations away from Russia towards Western suppliers, especially France, Israel and the USA, over the past decade. Russia’s share of Indian arms imports dropped from 70 per cent in 2011–15 to 51 per cent in 2016–20 and then to 40 per cent in 2021–25.

Not surprisingly, India’s adversary Pakistan is the 5th largest recipient of major arms globally in 2021–25, which should raise alarm as the ranking is up from 10th largest in 2016–20, as its arms imports increased by 66 per cent between the two periods.  China is the main supplier as Pakistan received 4.2 per cent of total global arms imports in 2021–25, with 80 per cent of its imports coming from China—up from 73 per cent in 2016–20. Importantly Indian military officials had remarked on the operational synergy achieved by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor the clash in May 2025 with the Chinese PLA providing key support including possibly “kill chain,” effectiveness of the Pakistan Air Force.

Case Europe

From 2021 to 2025, the EU intensified efforts to unify arms export policies and boost its defence industry. The 27 member states' arms exports rose by 36% compared to 2016–20, making up 28% of global exports—two thirds that of the USA, four times Russia, and five times China. Intra-EU transfers were 16% of this total. France, Germany, Italy, and Spain ranked in the top 10 global suppliers.

Case Israel

Given the two rounds of aerial skirmishes with Iran, there is a focus on Israel’s arms imports which reportedly increased by 12 per cent between 2016–20 and 2021–25, making it the 14th largest recipient of major arms globally despite substantial indigenous defence industry. The USA was the largest supplier to Israel in 2021–25 (accounting for 68 per cent of Israeli arms imports), followed by Germany (31 per cent) as per the SIPRI Report. Israel’s arms imports from the United States comprised armoured vehicles, combat aircraft, guided bombs, and missiles. By the end of 2025, Israel had a minimum of 55 combat aircraft on order from the United States.

Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. SIPRI Fact Sheet March 2026