In the past five years global delivery of weapons they increased by almost ten percent compared to the previous five-year period. This comes from a new report by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute - SIPRI for short.
Businesses in weapons and military products today are reaching again approximately the volume they had at the end of the Cold War in 1989. In the years after that, until the beginning of the new millennium, they declined significantly - by about one third.
Between 2016 and 2020, Asia and Oceania (42 percent of all imports) and the Middle East (32 percent) were the most important importing regions. Europe was in third place with only 12 percent.
Photo: US Navy via APAmerican helicopter MH-60R Sea Hawk
In the meantime, that has changed. In a comparison of two five-year periods, the arms imports of European countries more than tripled.
Europe is now in first place in the world in terms of arms imports - with a share of 33 percent. It is followed by Asia and Oceania (31 percent) and the Middle East (26 percent).
At the same time, it is no longer only Ukraine that imports weapons, although it is the largest individual importer in the world with a share of 9,7 percent. From 2022 to 2024, deliveries to a struggling country were the most obvious and decisive factor in the increase in arms purchases in Europe.
"Most other European countries have also started importing significantly more weapons to bolster their military capabilities because of what they see as a growing threat from Russia," explains Matthew George, one of the authors of the new SIPRI study.
The market – one could say – reflects the growing fear of war in Europe.
Fewer US deliveries to Ukraine
According to SIPRI data, the volume of US arms deliveries to Ukraine in 2025 was significantly lower than in the previous two years. The US President, Donald Trump, reduced his country's military aid to Kiev.
However, the US remains the most important arms exporter to Ukraine. Because even when Ukraine's allies – be they European states, Australia or Canada – have jointly purchased large quantities of weapons from the US and made them available to Ukraine, SIPRI still lists them as US arms exports to Ukraine.
However, Ukraine was no longer the main reason for the further growth of arms imports into Europe.
Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via APGerman Leopard
Poland - the record holder for arms imports
Namely, the feeling of being threatened by Russia, as well as Trump's warnings to the Europeans, strongly encouraged the demand of European NATO members for weapons. According to the report, arms imports by the current 29 European NATO members increased between 2016-2020. and 2021–2025. by 143 percent.
Photo: FoNet/MoD of CroatiaFrench Rafale
The largest arms importer among the European members of NATO and the seventh on the planet is Poland. Poland's concern, but also its determination, can be seen especially in the comparison of two five-year periods. The volume of Polish arms imports in the period 2021–2025. it was more than eight times higher than in 2016–2020. SIPRI recorded a growth of 852 percent.
That country, which borders Ukraine and Belarus, participates in the group of European NATO members with 17 percent of all imports. This corresponds to a share of 3,6 percent of total world arms imports.
The next largest importers were the United Kingdom (2,1 percent globally) and the Netherlands (1,8 percent).
The US remains the leading exporter
The role of the US as a "global dealer" in the field of armaments is growing further. In the period 2021–2025. according to SIPRI, they accounted for 42 percent of all international arms shipments – up from 36 percent in 2016-2020.
Photo: AP Photo/Giannis AngelakisUS aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford
American shipments went to a total of 99 countries, but mostly to Saudi Arabia and Japan. SIPRI arms export expert Peter Wezemann says: "The US has further consolidated its dominance as an arms supplier even in an increasingly multipolar world."
Under Trump, the US clearly sees arms exports as an instrument of foreign policy and as a means to strengthen its own military industry.
The United States is one of the most important arms exporters to European countries, along with South Korea.
Germany ranks 4th in terms of arms exports in the world
European countries also strengthened their role as arms exporters, such as France, which increased its exports by 21 percent and is in second place after the USA, but with a much smaller share of 9,8 percent.
Germany, with a share of 5,7 percent in world business, has become the fourth largest arms exporter in the world over the past five years, overtaking China (which exports the most to Pakistan, Thailand and Serbia).
Italy increased its exports by as much as 157 percent and is in 6th place globally with a share of 5,1 percent.
Both India and Pakistan have significantly increased their arms imports. Both countries were among the ten largest arms importers in the world during the past five years.
Near East
It is currently only possible to speculate on how much the current turmoil in the Middle East will further stimulate the regional arms trade. However, arms imports by Middle Eastern countries have fallen by 13 percent in the past five years.
But three countries in the region are still among the world's top ten arms importers: Saudi Arabia (6,8 percent of world imports), Qatar (6,4 percent), and Kuwait (2,8 percent).
Source: Deutsche Welle (DW)
