Qatar: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Qatar's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 11.7% on 2024 (from 1.19 billion to 1.05 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2024), the average change was +216.1% and a typical year strayed about 619.5% 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 2,750% in 1987 and the biggest yearly fall was 99.4% in 1985. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 18% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Qatar had the 8th 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 Qatar in the 2025 ranking

• Japan — 5th of 105: 1.72 billion
• Germany — 6th of 105: 1.63 billion
• Indonesia — 7th of 105: 1.28 billion
• United Arab Emirates — 9th of 105: 868 million
• Philippines — 10th of 105: 846 million
• Australia — 11th of 105: 826 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 48 values

Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 65 million (2021)
• Algeria — 108 million (2025)
• Bahrain — 30 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)

More public sector data for Qatar

• Armed forces personnel, total — 22,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.07% (2020)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 0.07 (2022)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 15.41 billion (2022)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 56.1 billion (2022)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 6.5% (2022)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 80 (2024)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 67.53 (2024)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 0.25 (2021)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

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

1.05 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1968?

It is up 52,600% from 2 million in 1968 (11.62% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 3.34 billion in 2022 and the lowest 2 million in 1968.

How does Qatar rank?

8th highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Qatar's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 11.7% on 2024 (from 1.19 billion to 1.05 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2024), the average change was +216.1% and a typical year strayed about 619.5% 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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