Burkina Faso: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Burkina Faso's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 3 million on 2024 (from 37 million to 34 million).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1965 to 2024), the average change was +814,815 and a typical year strayed about 10.57 million 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 23 million in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 17 million in 2019. 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 3.04 million a year. A straight line explains 52% 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, Burkina Faso had the 59th 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 Burkina Faso in the 2025 ranking

• Iraq — 56th of 105: 55 million
• Finland — 57th of 105: 51 million
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 58th of 105: 44 million
• Thailand — 60th of 105: 33 million
• Bangladesh — 61st of 105: 32 million
• Uzbekistan — 62nd of 105: 32 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 40 values

Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• Angola — 84 million (2025)
• Benin — 4 million (2025)
• Botswana — 11 million (2024)
• Burundi — 2 million (2019)
• Cameroon — 2 million (2023)
• Central African Republic — 43 million (2023)
• Chad — 4 million (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 44 million (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — 9 million (2024)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 15 million (2025)

More public sector data for Burkina Faso

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 891.56 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 518.42 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.3% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 13.21% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 11,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.12% (2020)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 137.43 billion (2024)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP) — 0.98% (2024)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 900.19 billion (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 3,300% from 1 million in 1961 (5.66% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 37 million in 2024 and the lowest 0 in 1965.

How does Burkina Faso rank?

59th highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Burkina Faso's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 3 million on 2024 (from 37 million to 34 million). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1965 to 2024), the average change was +814,815 and a typical year strayed about 10.57 million 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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