Imports of major arms by African states fell by 44% between 2015–19 and 2020–24, which was mainly due to decreases in the arms imports of Algeria and Morocco, new research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has shown.
A fact sheet on Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2024, shows that Algeria’s arms imports dropped by 73% in 2020–24 after reaching a peak in 2015–19. Between 2005–2009 and 2010–14, Morocco’s arms imports increased by more than 10 times (+1164%), but they have decreased in each period since then, for a 26% decline. However, based on its pending deliveries, Morocco’s arms imports are expected to increase in the coming years.
The main suppliers to Africa in 2020–24 were Russia (accounting for 21% of African imports of major arms), China (18%) and the USA (16%), according to SIPRI.
States in sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 2.2% of global imports of major arms in 2020–24. Their combined arms imports were 4.2% higher than in 2015–19 but 42% lower than in 2010–14.
“While imports of major arms by states in sub-Saharan Africa have remained at a relatively low level overall, imports by states in West Africa have risen sharply over the past 15 years as the security situation in many of those states has deteriorated. In 2020–24 arms imports by West African states were 100% higher than in 2015–19 and 82% higher than in 2010–14,” SIPRI noted.
The sharp rise over these periods was primarily due to big increases in arms imports by Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Nigeria was by far the largest arms importer among West African states, accounting for 34% of all imports of major arms to West Africa in 2020–24.
“The growth in arms imports to West Africa has been striking. While the volume of imports remains relatively small, it has important geopolitical implications,” said Katarina Djokic, Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. “States like Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal seem to be rapidly increasing their imports. Arms suppliers are using arms exports to boost their influence in this part of the world, including emerging suppliers—primarily Türkiye—alongside more established actors such as China, France, Russia and the USA.”
The biggest supplier to states in West Africa in 2020–24 was China, which accounted for 26% of West African arms imports, followed by France (14%) and Russia and Türkiye (each accounting for 11%). While the USA supplied only 4.6% of imports of major arms by West African states in 2020–24, it had the highest number of recipients (10) among suppliers to West Africa.
China, France and Türkiye supplied major arms to nine states each; Russia supplied four states. Senegal accounted for 79% of total West African imports of major arms from France, while Mali accounted for 54% of those from Russia.
Less than 5.0% of West African arms imports were in the form of aid in 2020–24. Of this aid, most came from the USA, which donated arms to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger before the coups and foreign policy changes in these states that took place during the period.
Ukraine tops list of major arms importing countries
Ukraine, for the past three years the subject of unwanted military attention from the Russian Federation, became the largest importer of major arms in the 2020/24 period, with Ukrainian major arms imports increasing by nearly 100 times in 2020/24 when compared to 2015/19.
European arms imports overall grew by 155% between the same periods as states responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and uncertainty over the future of US (United States) foreign policy, SIPRI said, adding President Donald Trump’s country increased its share of global arms exports to 43% with Russian exports falling by 64% in its latest international arms transfers analysis.
At least 35 states sent weapons to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and substantial further deliveries are in the pipeline, SIPRI said, adding “Ukraine received 8.8% of global arms imports in 2020/24.
Most of the major arms supplied to Ukraine came from the US (45%), followed by Germany (12%) and Poland (11%). Ukraine was the only European state among the top 10 importers in 2020/244, although other European states significantly increased arms imports in the period.
Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, said: “With an increasingly belligerent Russia and transatlantic relations under stress during the first Trump presidency, European NATO states have taken steps to reduce their dependence on arms imports and to strengthen the European arms industry”.
“The war against Ukraine has further accelerated the drop in Russia’s arms exports because more weapons are needed on the battlefield, trade sanctions make it harder for Russia to produce and sell its weapons and the US and its allies pressure states not to buy Russian arms. Two of Russia’s most important arms trading relationships had already weakened before 2022, with India increasingly favouring other suppliers and China sourcing more arms from its own burgeoning arms industry,” according to the senior researcher.
“The new arms transfers figures clearly reflect the rearmament taking place among states in Europe in response to the threat from Russia,” said Mathew George, Programme Director with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. “However, some major arms importers, including Saudi Arabia, India and China, saw large declines in import volumes for a variety of reasons, despite high threat perceptions in their regions.”
With the United States leading global arms sales, France became the world’s second largest arms supplier in 2020–24, delivering arms to 65 states. This was mainly due to deliveries of combat aircraft to Greece and Croatia, and arms supplies to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
China was the fourth largest exporter of arms in 2020–24, with 5.9% of global arms exports. Despite China’s efforts to increase its arms exports, many large importers do not buy Chinese arms for political reasons, SIPRI research found.
Asia and Oceania remains largest arms-importing region
The share of global arms transfers going to states in Asia and Oceania fell from 41% to 33% between 2015–19 and 2020–24. A 21% drop in imports to the region was in large part due to arms imports by China shrinking by 64% between the two periods, as it increasingly substituted imports—mainly from Russia—with locally designed and produced weapon systems. China’s arms imports are likely to keep falling as the capacity of its domestic arms industry grows.
“While arms imports to Europe and the Middle East continue to grab media attention, Asia and Oceania remained the largest arms-importing region in the world in 2020–24, as it has been almost invariably since the early 1990s,” said Wezeman. “Threat perceptions concerning China are behind much of the arms procurement in the region.”
Middle East arms imports dip
Arms imports by states in the Middle East fell by 20% between 2015–19 and 2020–24. Four of the top 10 global importers in 2020–24 were in the Middle East: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait. Qatar was the world’s third largest arms importer in 2020–24 (up from 10th largest in 2015–19). Between 2015–19 and 2020–24, Saudi Arabia’s arms imports decreased by 41%.
“Regional conflicts and tensions continue to drive demand for arms imports in the Middle East,” said Zain Hussain, Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. “Given the volume of pending deliveries, the Middle East will remain a major arms-importing region.”
Despite the ongoing war in Gaza, arms imports by Israel remained largely stable between 2015–19 and 2020–24. “Israel has received substantial military aid from the USA following the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023,” said Hussain. “However, for its recent military operations, Israel has employed mainly US-supplied weapons it had received earlier. Israel’s adversaries Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have relied on Iranian arms, and Hezbollah and the Houthis have used Iranian-supplied missiles and drones against Israel.”
