By Pieter D Wezeman
This SIPRI Fact Sheet 1) highlights the trends and issues that have defined global arms transfers from 1950 to 2018; 2) identifies the world’s main arms exporters and importers over the last five years; and 3) pinpoints the latest regional trends in this form of exchange. For the five-year period ending in 2018, the globe’s biggest exporters were the US, Russia, France Germany and China, while the main recipient countries were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria.
This article was originally published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March 2019. Image courtesy of Jovi Prevot/DVIDS.
Key Facts
The volume of international transfers of major arms has grown steadily since 2003. In 2014–18 the volume was 7.8 per cent higher than in 2009–13 and 23 per cent higher than in 2004–2008.
The five largest exporters in 2014–18 were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. Together, they accounted for 75 per cent of the total volume of arms exports in 2014–18.
US exports accounted for 36 per cent of the global total in 2014–18. US arms exports in 2014–18 grew by 29 per cent compared with 2009–13.
Russian arms exports decreased by 17 per cent between 2009–13 and 2014–18.
French, German and Chinese arms exports in 2014–18 were higher than in 2009–13, with respective increases of 43, 13 and 2.7 per cent.
The five largest importers in 2014–18—Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria— together received 35 per cent of all arms imports.
The main recipient region in 2014–18 was Asia and Oceania (accounting for 40 per cent of global imports), followed by the Middle East (35 per cent), Europe (11 per cent), Africa (7.8 per cent) and the Americas (6.2 per cent).
Between 2009–13 and 2014–18 arms imports by states in the Middle East increased by 87 per cent. By contrast, overall imports decreased in the Americas (–36 per cent), Europe (–13 per cent), Asia and Oceania (–6.7 per cent) and Africa (–6.5 per cent).
The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2014–18 was 7.8 per cent higher than in 2009–13 and 23 per cent higher than in 2004–2008 (see figure 1). The five largest exporters in 2014–18 were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China (see table 1). The five largest importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria (see table 2, page 6).
The flow of arms to the Middle East increased by 87 per cent between 2009–13 and 2014–18, while there was a decrease in flows to all other regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Europe.
From 11 March 2019 the freely accessible SIPRI Arms Transfers Database includes updated data on arms transfers for 1950–2018.1 Based on the new data, this Fact Sheet highlights global and regional trends and selected issues related to arms transfers.
No comments:
Post a Comment