Australia: Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Australia's arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 47.9% on 2024 (from 73 million to 108 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2024), the average change was +123.1% and a typical year strayed about 452.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below 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 2,350% in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 95.5% in 2004. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 2% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Australia had the 25th highest value of the 42 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Australia in the 2025 ranking

• Ukraine — 22nd of 42: 120 million
• Finland — 23rd of 42: 115 million
• South Africa — 24th of 42: 115 million
• Belgium — 26th of 42: 86 million
• India — 27th of 42: 81 million
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 28th of 42: 80 million

What this measures

Arms transfers (exports) 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 56 values

Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• China — 880 million (2025)
• Indonesia — 17 million (2021)
• Japan — 28 million (2025)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 44 million (2025)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.02 billion (2025)
• New Zealand — 20 million (2023)
• Singapore — 79 million (2025)

More public sector data for Australia

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 826 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 35.33 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 54.81 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.92% (2025)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 19.74 billion (2022)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 0.84% (2022)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -31.49 billion (2022)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — -1.35% (2022)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 71.28 billion (2022)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Australia's arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values)?

108 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 5,300% from 2 million in 1961 (6.43% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 406 million in 2020 and the lowest 2 million in 1961.

How does Australia rank?

25th highest of 42 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) unusual for Australia?

In 2025, Australia's arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 47.9% on 2024 (from 73 million to 108 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2024), the average change was +123.1% and a typical year strayed about 452.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPRT.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.