Bahrain: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Bahrain's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 820 million on 2024 (from 850 million to 30 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2024), the average change was +4 million and a typical year strayed about 143 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 556 million in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 820 million in 2025. 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 upward, about 46.92 million a year. A straight line explains 30% 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

In 2025, Bahrain had the 63rd highest value of the 105 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 Bahrain in the 2025 ranking

• Thailand — 60th of 105: 33 million
• Bangladesh — 61st of 105: 32 million
• Uzbekistan — 62nd of 105: 32 million
• Ecuador — 64th of 105: 30 million
• South Africa — 65th of 105: 30 million
• Austria — 66th of 105: 29 million

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 51 values

Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 65 million (2021)
• Algeria — 108 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)
• Lebanon — 9 million (2024)

More public sector data for Bahrain

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.47 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 552.03 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.11% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 10.8% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 19,000 (2020)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 1.14 billion (2020)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 8.49% (2020)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 235.05 million (2020)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 1.74% (2020)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Bahrain's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)?

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

How does Bahrain rank?

63rd highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) unusual for Bahrain?

In 2025, Bahrain's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 820 million on 2024 (from 850 million to 30 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2024), the average change was +4 million and a typical year strayed about 143 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://armstransfers.sipri.org/ArmsTransfer/.

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.

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