Mexico: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Mexico's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 80.4% on 2024 (from 46 million to 9 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2024), the average change was +148.2% and a typical year strayed about 372.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 1,612.5% in 1986 and the biggest yearly fall was 98.9% in 2021. 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 downward, about 28.13 million a year. A straight line explains 47% of the movement over 8 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, Mexico had the 84th 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 Mexico in the 2025 ranking

• Luxembourg — 81st of 105: 11 million
• Maldives — 82nd of 105: 11 million
• Sri Lanka — 83rd of 105: 11 million
• North Macedonia — 85th of 105: 9 million
• Tunisia — 86th of 105: 7 million
• Guinea — 87th of 105: 6 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 60 values

Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 108 million (2025)
• Bahamas, The — 12 million (2017)
• Bolivia — 0 (2024)
• Brazil — 462 million (2025)
• Chile — 14 million (2025)
• Colombia — 22 million (2025)
• Costa Rica — 8 million (2019)
• Dominican Republic — 13 million (2025)
• Ecuador — 30 million (2025)
• El Salvador — 3 million (2025)

More public sector data for Mexico

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 13.65 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 262.17 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.74% (2025)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 297.68 billion (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 0.89% (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 692.29 billion (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 10.63% (2024)
• Social contributions (current LCU) — 852.36 billion (2024)
• Social contributions (% of revenue) — 13.09% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1960?

It is down 55% from 20 million in 1960 (1.22% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 495 million in 1997 and the lowest 3 million in 2021.

How does Mexico rank?

84th highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Mexico's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 80.4% on 2024 (from 46 million to 9 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2024), the average change was +148.2% and a typical year strayed about 372.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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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