United States's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) was 745 million in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 54.56% from 482 million in 2015 (4.45% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 745 million | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 806 million | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 482 million | 2015 |
| Highest | 2 billion | 1987 |
| Lowest | 38 million | 1970 |
| Average since 2016 | 747.5 million | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 181 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, United States' arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 29.2% on 2024 (from 1.05 billion to 745 million).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.7% and a typical year strayed about 33.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1,421.1% in 1971 and the biggest yearly fall was 79.6% in 1990. 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 55.11 million a year. A straight line explains 54% 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, United States had the 13th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 745 million | 2025 |
| World | 33.33 billion | 2025 |
| North America | 828 million | 2025 |
| High income | 20.57 billion | 2025 |
Closest to United States in the 2025 ranking
- Philippines — 10th of 105: 846 million
- Australia — 11th of 105: 826 million
- Netherlands — 12th of 105: 824 million
- Pakistan — 14th of 105: 706 million
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 15th of 105: 697 million
- United Kingdom — 16th of 105: 609 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 66 values
| Year | Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 745,000,000 |
| 2024 | 1,053,000,000 |
| 2023 | 891,000,000 |
| 2022 | 846,000,000 |
| 2021 | 922,000,000 |
| 2020 | 806,000,000 |
| 2019 | 882,000,000 |
| 2018 | 379,000,000 |
| 2017 | 504,000,000 |
| 2016 | 447,000,000 |
| 2015 |
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in nearby economies
- Canada — 83 million (2025)
More public sector data for United States
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 954.39 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 954.39 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.12% (2025)
- Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 13.98 billion (2025)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 2.07 trillion (2024)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 7.06% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 435.61 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 1.49% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -2.11 trillion (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United States's arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)?
- 745 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 311.6% from 181 million in 1960 (2.2% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2 billion in 1987 and the lowest 38 million in 1970.
- How does United States rank?
- 13th highest of 105 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) unusual for United States?
- In 2025, United States' arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) fell 29.2% on 2024 (from 1.05 billion to 745 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.7% and a typical year strayed about 33.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
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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