Europe Becomes World’s Biggest Arms Importer: Think Tank

Meanwhile, the United States remains the world’s largest supplier of arms, and total exports increased by 27 percent between 2016–2020 and 2021–2025.

A Polish army general stands in front of the surface-to-air missile launcher, the Patriot (Wisla) system, newly added into the Integrated Battle Command System at an army base in Sochaczew, Poland, on Dec. 18, 2024. Kuba Stezycki/Reuters

Europe has become the world’s biggest arms importer over the past five years, as governments seek to rearm amid the perceived threat from Russia, according to a think tank report published on March 9.

Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed that Europe accounted for 33 percent of global arms imports, rising by 210 percent between 2016–2020 and 2021–2025, according to a statement.