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Global arms trade is rising, driven largely by Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing tensions with China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The report, Trends in international arms transfers 2025 (opens pdf), said global arms transfers rose 9.2 per cent over the past five years compared to the previous period.

Ukraine became the world’s top arms importer after Russia’s invasion four years ago, jumping to 9.7 per cent of global purchases, from 0.1 per cent.

Across Europe, arms imports more than tripled, with about half of those weapons coming from the U.S.

In Asia, India ranked second worldwide at 8.2 per cent in arms imports, fuelled by border tensions with China and Pakistan.

China is also a major exporter, sending more than half of its weapons to Pakistan while planning to increase its own military spending this year by about seven percent.

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