Europe Becomes the World's Largest Arms Importer According to SIPRI Report According to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), released on March 9, 2026, the global volume of major arms transfers increased by 9.2% between 2021-2025 compared to the previous five-year period (2016-2020). Europe has experienced the most dramatic surge, with arms imports rising by 210%, making it the largest arms-importing region worldwide and accounting for 33% of all global imports. This sharp increase is largely driven by deliveries to Ukraine since 2022, which received 9.7% of total global arms transfers, but also by many other European countries bolstering their own military capabilities amid perceived threats. Mathew George, director of SIPRI's Arms Transfers Programme, noted that while deliveries to Ukraine are the most visible factor, most European states have significantly ramped up imports. Nearly half (48%) of Europe's imported arms came from the United States, which strengthened its position as the dominant global exporter with 42% of all international transfers, up from 36% previously. In contrast, intra-European transfers make up only about one-fifth of the region's flows, highlighting limited self-sufficiency despite EU goals. Germany rose to the fourth-largest exporter globally (5.7% share), with a significant portion of its exports going to Ukraine as aid. Meanwhile, Russia's arms exports plummeted 64%, dropping its global share from 21% to 6.8%, due to its own use of equipment in Ukraine and Western pressure on third countries. Imports in the Middle East fell 13%, though the region still relies heavily on U.S. supplies. China has reduced reliance on Russian arms and dropped out of the top 10 importers for the first time since the 1990s as it develops domestic production.

Europe Becomes the World's Largest Arms Importer According to SIPRI Report

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