The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2016–20 was 0.5 per cent lower than in 2011–15 and 12 per cent higher than in 2006–10 (see figure 1).1 The five largest arms exporters in 2016–20 were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China (see table 1). The five largest arms importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China (see table 2). Between 2011–15 and 2016–20 there were increases in arms transfers to the Middle East (25 per cent) and to Europe (12 per cent), while there were decreases in the transfers to Africa (–13 per cent), the Americas (–43 per cent), and Asia and Oceania (–8.3 per cent).

From 15 March 2021 SIPRI’s open-access Arms Transfers Database includes updated data on transfers of major arms for 1950–2020, which replaces all previous data on arms transfers published by SIPRI. Based on the new data, this Fact Sheet presents global trends in arms exports and arms imports, and highlights selected issues related to transfers of major arms (see box 1).