Serbia: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 0.68% from 147 million in 2020 (0.14% a year on average, compounded). Since 1992 it is up 3,550% from 4 million in 1992 (11.52% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 12 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2025, Serbia's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 9 million on 2024 (from 155 million to 146 million).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2024), the average change was +9.12 million and a typical year strayed about 81.86 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 206 million in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 215 million in 2024. 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 22.89 million a year. A straight line explains 46% 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, Serbia had the 39th 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 Serbia in the 2025 ranking

• China — 36th of 105: 207 million
• Estonia — 37th of 105: 204 million
• Viet Nam — 38th of 105: 177 million
• Sweden — 40th of 105: 146 million
• Croatia — 41st of 105: 141 million
• Russian Federation — 42nd of 105: 129 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 22 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)
• Belgium — 430 million (2025)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 1 million (2025)
• Bulgaria — 540 million (2025)
• Croatia — 141 million (2025)
• Cyprus — 28 million (2025)

More public sector data for Serbia

• Armed forces personnel, total — 32,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.01% (2020)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 288.94 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.76% (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 2.78 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 6.44% (2025)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 0.65 (2023)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 2.05 (2023)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 1.31 (2023)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 3,550% from 4 million in 1992 (11.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 370 million in 2023 and the lowest 0 in 2012.

How does Serbia rank?

39th highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Serbia's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 9 million on 2024 (from 155 million to 146 million). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2024), the average change was +9.12 million and a typical year strayed about 81.86 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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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