Sri Lanka: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Key figures

Since 1960 it is up 175% from 4 million in 1960 (1.57% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 18 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2025, Sri Lanka's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 2 million on 2024 (from 9 million to 11 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was −4.6 million and a typical year strayed about 81.03 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 232 million in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was 146 million in 1992. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2017 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 9.34 million a year. A straight line explains 61% 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, Sri Lanka had the 81st 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 Sri Lanka in the 2025 ranking

• Dominican Republic — 80th of 105: 13 million
• Luxembourg — 81st of 105: 11 million
• Maldives — 82nd of 105: 11 million
• Mexico — 84th of 105: 9 million
• North Macedonia — 85th of 105: 9 million
• Tunisia — 86th of 105: 7 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

• Bangladesh — 32 million (2025)
• India — 2.86 billion (2025)
• Maldives — 11 million (2025)
• Nepal — 6 million (2025)

More public sector data for Sri Lanka

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.39 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 418.25 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.31% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.92% (2025)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 234.09 billion (2023)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP) — 0.85% (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 2.77 trillion (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 10.07% (2023)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 647.96 billion (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 175% from 4 million in 1960 (1.57% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 294 million in 2000 and the lowest 0 in 1964.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

81st highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Sri Lanka's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) rose 2 million on 2024 (from 9 million to 11 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was −4.6 million and a typical year strayed about 81.03 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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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