III. Developments among the recipients of major arms, 2016–20

Chapter:

9. International arms transfers and developments in arms production

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2021

Author(s):

Siemon T. Wezeman

SIPRI has identified 164 states as importers of major arms in the five-year period 2016–20.¹ The top five arms importers—Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China—received 36 per cent of total arms imports in 2016–20 (see table 9.4). Except for Egypt, which replaced the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the top five were the same as in 2011–15, although there were some changes in rank order. Most notably, Saudi Arabia moved above India to become the world’s largest importer of major arms in 2016–20. At the regional level, Asia and Oceania accounted for 42 per cent of arms imports in 2016–20, followed by the Middle East (33 per cent), Europe (12 per cent), Africa (7.3 per cent) and the Americas (5.4 per cent; see table 9.5). This section reviews significant developments among the recipients of arms in each region.