According to the report titled ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2024′ released by Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukraine emerged as the top world’s leading importer of major arms between 2020 and 2024, with its imports skyrocketing nearly 100-fold compared to the 2015–19 period.
- India ranked the world’s 2nd-largest arms importer during 2020–2024, with a 9.3% decline in imports compared to 2015–2019, driven by increased domestic production and diversified sourcing. Qatar and Saudi Arabia ranked 3rd and 4th respectively.
- The United States of America (USA), France, and Russia were the top 3 global arms exporters during this period.
India’s Main Arms Suppliers:
i.Russia remains India’s top arms supplier, accounting for 36% of its total arms imports. However, this figure has significantly reduced from 55% in 2015–19 to 36% in 2020–24 due to India’s increasing domestic defence production and sourcing from other countries.
ii.France emerged as the 2nd-largest supplier to India, accounting for 33% of total imports, mainly through the supply of Rafale jets and other military equipment. Israel followed, providing 13% of India’s total imports.
Top 5 Importers & Their Main Suppliers (2020–24):
| Rank | Importer (Global Share %) | Main Suppliers (Share of Importer’s Total Imports %) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | ||
| 1 | Ukraine (8.8%) | USA (45) | Germany (12) | Poland (11) |
| 2 | India (8.3%) | Russia (36)Â | France (33) | Israel (13) |
| 3 | Qatar (6.8%) | USA (48) | Italy (20) | United Kingdom (UK) (15) |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia (6.8%) | USA (74) | Spain (10) | France (6.2) |
| 5 | Pakistan (4.6%) | China (81) | Netherlands (5.5) | Turkey (3.8) |
Key Points:
i.Ukraine became the largest arms importer globally due to heavy defence support from various countries amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- Ukraine accounted for 8.8% of global arms imports, majorly supplied by the USA (45%), Germany (12%), and Poland (11%).
ii.European arms imports rose by 155%, mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. European North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states increased their arms imports by 105%, with 64% of the supply coming from the USA.
iii.In Asia and Oceania, arms imports dropped by 21%, with China’s imports falling by 64%, while Japan’s imports surged by 93%.
iv.The Middle East witnessed a 20% reduction in arms imports, with Saudi Arabia experiencing a 41% decline.
v.The USA accounted for 52% of the region’s imports. Meanwhile, Africa’s arms imports fell by 44%, mainly due to decreased imports by Algeria (73%) and Morocco (26%).
Top 5 Exporters & Their Main Recipients (2020–24):
| Rank | Exporter (Global Share %) | Main Recipients (Share of Exporter’s Total Export %) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | ||
| 1 | USA (43) | Saudi Arabia (12) | Ukraine (9.3) | Japan (8.8) |
| 2 | France (9.6) | India (28) | Qatar (9.7) | Greece (8.3) |
| 3 | Russia (7.8) | India (38) | China (17) | Kazakhstan (11) |
| 4 | China (5.9%) | Pakistan (63) | Serbia (6.8) | Thailand (4.6%) |
| 5 | Germany (5.6%) | Ukraine (19) | Egypt (19) | Israel (11) |
Key Points:
i.Global arms exports were dominated by the USA, accounting for 43% of the total share, reflecting a 21% increase from 2015-19.
- Russia’s arms exports declined by 64%, reducing its share to 7.8%, placing it 3rd after France (9.6%).
- France advanced to become the world’s 2nd-largest arms supplier with a 11% increase in exports.
ii.The overall volume of international arms transfers in 2020–24 decreased by 0.6% compared to 2015–19.
Note:
- In 2023–24, India’s total defence production hit a record Rs.1.27 trillion. The 17.25% growth in total production that year was a seven-year high.
- The Union Budget for the Financial Year 2025-26(FY26) allocates Rs 6,81,210.27 crore to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), a 9.53% increase from the previous year. This amount represents 13.45% of the total Union Budget, the highest among all ministries.
- Of the Rs.1.49 trillion capital acquisition budget, Rs.1.115 trillion (75%) is set aside for domestic purchases.
About Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI):
Director– Dan Smith
Headquarters– Solna, Sweden
Established– 1966
