Belgium: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Belgium's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 15.4% on 2024 (from 508 million to 430 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +283.3% and a typical year strayed about 829.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 4,133.3% in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 92.9% in 2023. 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 48.75 million a year. A straight line explains 60% 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, Belgium had the 25th 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 Belgium in the 2025 ranking

• Azerbaijan — 22nd of 105: 463 million
• Brazil — 23rd of 105: 462 million
• Slovak Republic — 24th of 105: 445 million
• Romania — 26th of 105: 421 million
• Norway — 27th of 105: 407 million
• Hungary — 28th of 105: 402 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 66 values

Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• Albania — 23 million (2025)
• Armenia — 21 million (2025)
• Austria — 29 million (2025)
• Azerbaijan — 463 million (2025)
• Belarus — 466 million (2025)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 1 million (2025)
• Bulgaria — 540 million (2025)
• Croatia — 141 million (2025)
• Cyprus — 28 million (2025)
• Czechia — 19 million (2025)

More public sector data for Belgium

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 14.53 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 12.88 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.01% (2025)
• Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 86 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 3.67% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 24,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.47% (2020)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 4.51 billion (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 0.73% (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 367.39% from 92 million in 1960 (2.4% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 779 million in 1979 and the lowest 1 million in 2018.

How does Belgium rank?

25th highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Belgium's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 15.4% on 2024 (from 508 million to 430 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +283.3% and a typical year strayed about 829.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.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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