Europe has overtaken all other regions to become the world's largest importer of arms over the past five years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). European countries more than tripled their arms purchases between 2021 and 2025 compared with 2016-2020, both to support Ukraine's defence against Russia and to rebuild their own militaries after decades of underinvestment.
"The sharp increase in arms flows to European states pushed global arms transfers up almost 10%," said Mathew George, Director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. Europe now accounts for 33% of global arms imports, up from 12% in the previous five-year period. Despite boosting domestic production, many countries continued to purchase US weapons, particularly combat aircraft and long-range air-defence systems.
Elsewhere, arms imports by Middle Eastern states fell 13%, largely reflecting earlier large Saudi orders, though nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain among the top buyers. Globally, the US increased its share of arms exports to 42%, followed by France at 9.8%, while Russia's share dropped to 6.8% after its invasion of Ukraine. Europe's combined exports account for 28% of the global market, four times Russia's and five times China's share.