Overview
- International transfers of major weapons in 2021–25 were 9.2% higher than in 2016–20, with Europe taking 33% of global imports and Ukraine the top recipient at 9.7%.
- Purchases by European NATO states more than tripled in 2021–25, with governments widening suppliers to South Korea, France and Israel as U.S. deliveries to Ukraine fell in 2025.
- The United States accounted for 42% of global arms exports after a 27% increase, France held 9.8%, and Germany overtook China to rank fourth as European demand surged.
- Russia’s export share fell to 6.8% after a roughly 64% drop in deliveries, with India, China and Belarus absorbing nearly three quarters of what Moscow still shipped.
- In South Asia, India ranked second for imports at about 8.2–8.3% with a slight decline and a shift away from Russian equipment, while Pakistan’s imports rose 66% with about 80% sourced from China; China cut its own imports by 72% as domestic production expanded.