- By Supratik Das
- Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:44 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
World’s largest weapons buyers: A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has shown the world's leading arms-importing countries in 2020-2024, which indicates the increasing military requirements fueled by wars, regional rivalries, and security issues. The biggest arms importer in the world is Ukraine, while the second spot is held by India even after it cut down its dependence on foreign producers.
Here's the Top 10 Biggest Arms Importers in the World (2020–2024) according to the latest SIPRI report
• Ukraine – 8.8 per cent
Top suppliers: USA, Germany, Poland
• India – 8.3 per cent
Top suppliers: Russia, France, Israel
• Qatar – 6.8 per cent
Top suppliers: USA, Italy, UK
• Saudi Arabia – 6.8 per cent
Top suppliers: USA, Spain, France
• Pakistan – 4.6 per cent
Top suppliers: China, Netherlands, Türkiye
• Japan – 3.9 per cent
Top suppliers: USA, UK, Germany
• Australia – 3.5 per cent
Top suppliers: USA, Netherlands, Norway
• Egypt – 3.3 per cent
Top suppliers: Germany, Italy, France
• United States – 3.1 per cent
Top suppliers: UK, France, Israel
•Kuwait – 2.9 per cent
Top suppliers: USA, Italy, France
According to SIPRI, Ukraine accounted for 8.8 per cent of total global arms imports during 2020–24, making it the single largest buyer of major weapons.This dramatic shift was driven almost entirely by the ongoing conflict with Russia, which began with Moscow’s invasion in February 2022. Ukraine's imports of arms were negligible prior to the war but, over the past two years, Kyiv imported weapons from at least 35 nations, including the United States, Germany, and Poland. The United States alone supplied close to half of Ukraine's imports, highlighting Washington's status as Kyiv's main military supporter.
India Remains At Second Position Despite Fall In Imports
India was the second-largest importer of arms in the world between 2020–24 with a global market share of 8.3 per cent. SIPRI, however, observed that this was a fall of 9.3 per cent from the previous five-year period between 2015–19. The report credited this fall to the growing priority in New Delhi to produce defence domestically and acquire it through the "Make in India" initiative.
Russia was India's largest supplier, with 36 per cent of the imports, although its percentage has declined significantly from earlier decades. France and Israel also became other Top partners, and the United States is also slowly becoming a defence supplier of increasing importance to India.
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Aside from India and Ukraine, Qatar and Saudi Arabia share the next highest percentage with 6.8 per cent of the world's total. Both nations continue to update their armed forces amidst tensions in the Middle East region. Qatar's imports significantly increased as it upgraded its air force and missile capabilities, while Saudi Arabia was among the biggest purchasers of US fighter jets and defense systems. Pakistan was in 5th place (4.6 per cent), with China being the source of more than 80 per cent of its imports. Japan (3.9 per cent) and Australia (3.5 per cent) were also amongst the top buyers, a sign of increasing security interests in the Indo-Pacific. Egypt, the United States, and Kuwait completed in the world's top ten.
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For India, the report highlighted a trend towards a slow but significant shift in defence buying habits. While Russia remains the largest supplier, the reduction in dependency signals New Delhi’s long-term focus on self-reliance and diversification. The country’s push for indigenous fighter jets, submarines, and missile systems is expected to further reduce import volumes in the coming years.
With inputs from agencies.