Arab World's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) was 6.63 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 36.84% from 10.49 billion in 2015 (4.49% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 6.63 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 6.47 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 10.49 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 16.62 billion | 1982 |
| Lowest | 581 million | 1960 |
| Average since 2016 | 8.72 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 581 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Arab World's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 18.2% on 2024 (from 5.61 billion to 6.63 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 26.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 75.5% in 1966 and the biggest yearly fall was 45% in 1988. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 610.58 million a year. A straight line explains 58% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
See how every economy compares in the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Arab World | 6.63 billion | 2025 |
| World | 33.33 billion | 2025 |
What this measures
Arms transfers (imports) cover the volume of transfers of major arms through sales and gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships. Figures are SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (TIVs). A '0' indicates that the volume of deliveries is between 0 and 0.5 million SIPRI TIV.
Limitations: SIPRI calculates the volume of transfers to, from and between all parties using the TIV and the number of weapon systems or subsystems delivered in a given year. This data is intended to provide a common unit to allow the measurement if trends in the flow of arms to particular countries and regions over time. Therefore, the main priority is to ensure that the TIV system remains consistent over time, and that any changes introduced are backdated. SIPRI TIV figures do not represent sales prices for arms transfers.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 66 values
| Year | Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,625,000,000 |
| 2024 | 5,605,000,000 |
| 2023 | 7,241,000,000 |
| 2022 | 10,869,000,000 |
| 2021 | 8,071,000,000 |
| 2020 | 6,474,000,000 |
| 2019 | 8,120,000,000 |
| 2018 | 9,651,000,000 |
| 2017 | 11,766,000,000 |
| 2016 | 12,782,000,000 |
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies
- Afghanistan — 65 million (2021)
- Algeria — 108 million (2025)
- Bahrain — 30 million (2025)
- Djibouti — 0 (2023)
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 697 million (2025)
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — 42 million (2024)
- Iraq — 55 million (2025)
- Israel — 537 million (2025)
- Jordan — 34 million (2024)
- Kuwait — 311 million (2025)
More public sector data for Arab World
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 144.84 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 5.06% (2025)
- Armed forces personnel, total — 3.07 million (2020)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 2.33% (2020)
- Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 20.89% (2025)
- CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2.43 (2025)
- CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
- CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 2.43 (2025)
- CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Arab World's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)?
- 6.63 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 1,040% from 581 million in 1960 (3.82% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 16.62 billion in 1982 and the lowest 581 million in 1960.
- Is the latest change in arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) unusual for Arab World?
- In 2025, Arab World's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 18.2% on 2024 (from 5.61 billion to 6.63 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 26.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
- Where does this data come from?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.MPRT.KD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://armstransfers.sipri.org/ArmsTransfer/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in