Malaysia's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) was 7 million in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 90.67% from 75 million in 2014 (21.11% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 7 million | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 68 million | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 75 million | 2014 |
| Highest | 1.28 billion | 2009 |
| Lowest | 2 million | 1961 |
| Average since 2015 | 101.9 million | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 5 million |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Malaysia's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 36.4% on 2023 (from 11 million to 7 million).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +237.3% and a typical year strayed about 584.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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 2,269.2% in 1994 and the biggest yearly fall was 98.1% in 2011. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 20.24 million a year. A straight line explains 56% 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 2024, Malaysia had the 16th highest value of the 23 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 7 million | 2024 |
| World | 33.33 billion | 2025 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 5.83 billion | 2025 |
| Upper middle income | 7.32 billion | 2025 |
Closest to Malaysia in the 2024 ranking
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 64 values
| Year | Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 7,000,000 |
| 2023 | 11,000,000 |
| 2022 | 71,000,000 |
| 2021 | 133,000,000 |
| 2020 | 51,000,000 |
| 2019 | 68,000,000 |
| 2018 | 93,000,000 |
| 2017 | 197,000,000 |
| 2016 | 270,000,000 |
| 2015 | 118,000,000 |
| 2014 |
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies
- Australia — 826 million (2025)
- Brunei Darussalam — 28 million (2024)
- Cambodia — 56 million (2023)
- China — 207 million (2025)
- Indonesia — 1.28 billion (2025)
- Japan — 1.72 billion (2025)
- Korea, Rep. — 222 million (2025)
- Lao PDR — 7 million (2024)
- Mongolia — 3 million (2022)
- Myanmar — 70 million (2025)
More public sector data for Malaysia
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 4.93 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 21.13 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.04% (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.43% (2025)
- Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 0.73 (2023)
- Armed forces personnel, total — 136,000 (2020)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.81% (2020)
- Central government debt, total (current LCU) — 1.25 trillion (2024)
- Central government debt, total (% of GDP) — 64.57% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Malaysia's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)?
- 7 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 40% from 5 million in 1960 (0.53% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.28 billion in 2009 and the lowest 2 million in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank?
- 16th highest of 23 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) unusual for Malaysia?
- In 2024, Malaysia's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 36.4% on 2023 (from 11 million to 7 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +237.3% and a typical year strayed about 584.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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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