South Sudan: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

Since 2007 it is down 72.97% from 37 million in 2007 (8.35% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 4 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2022, South Sudan's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 25% on 2021 (from 8 million to 10 million).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2021), the average change was +414.2% and a typical year strayed about 1,046.6% 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 3,150% in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 97.7% in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to South Sudan in the 2022 ranking

• Mauritius — 2nd of 4: 4 million
• Mongolia — 3rd of 4: 3 million
• Yemen, Rep. — 4th of 4: 1 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 12 values

Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies

• Angola — 84 million (2025)
• Benin — 4 million (2025)
• Botswana — 11 million (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 34 million (2025)
• 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)

More public sector data for South Sudan

• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 20 (2024)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 57.54 (2024)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 178.42 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 798.3 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.42% (2025)
• Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) — 115.97% (2023)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 18.38% (2025)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 1.5 (2025)

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Questions people ask

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

10 million in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2007?

It is down 72.97% from 37 million in 2007 (8.35% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 65 million in 2011 and the lowest 1 million in 2009.

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

In 2022, South Sudan's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 25% on 2021 (from 8 million to 10 million). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2021), the average change was +414.2% and a typical year strayed about 1,046.6% 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.

Where does this data come from?

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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