In the last five years, European countries have become the largest arms importers in the world.
According to Modern.az, this is stated in the new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
According to the data, arms imports by European countries in 2021–2025 increased by more than three times compared to 2016–2020. The increase is mainly due to European states' security concerns and their efforts to strengthen their armies following Russia's war against Ukraine. During this period, European countries increased their arms purchases both to support Ukraine's defense and to rebuild their armies, which had been underfunded for years.
According to SIPRI, Europe currently accounts for 33 percent of global arms imports. In the previous five-year period, this figure was only 12 percent. As a result of the sharp increase in the flow of arms to Europe, the total volume of global arms trade has also risen by approximately 10 percent.
Although European countries are trying to increase domestic production, they continue to expand their arms purchases from the United States. Combat aircraft and long-range air defense systems, in particular, are among the most acquired types of weapons by European states.
At the same time, arms imports by Middle Eastern countries have decreased by 13 percent in the last five years. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain among the largest arms buyers in the world. Experts believe that increasing tensions in the region, especially events around Iran, will further boost the acquisition of air defense and anti-missile systems in the future.
Regarding arms exports, the US has further strengthened its position in the global market. Currently, the US accounts for 42 percent of global arms exports. France ranks second with 9.8 percent. Russia's share, however, has decreased from 21 percent to 6.8 percent after the war it launched against Ukraine in 2022.
According to the report, the total arms exports of European countries constitute 28 percent of the global market, which is four times Russia's share and approximately five times China's share.
