Japan vs Republic of Korea: Arms imports

Japan
977.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2024
Republic of Korea
1.01 billion SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2024
Japan rank
10th
Republic of Korea rank
7th

Arms imports over time

  • Japan
  • Republic of Korea
01.0B2.0B3.0B196019922024

How they compare

Republic of Korea currently reports 1.01 billion SIPRI trend indicator values against 977.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in Japan, a difference of 32.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values.

The two have swapped places 19 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 10th and Republic of Korea ranks 7th of 172 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 5 and Republic of Korea in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan Republic of Korea Difference Ahead
1960s 647.70 million SIPRI trend indicator values 327.10 million SIPRI trend indicator values 320.60 million SIPRI trend indicator values Japan
1970s 848.30 million SIPRI trend indicator values 558.20 million SIPRI trend indicator values 290.10 million SIPRI trend indicator values Japan
1980s 1.76 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 895.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values 865.20 million SIPRI trend indicator values Japan
1990s 1.70 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 1.32 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 374.50 million SIPRI trend indicator values Japan
2000s 554.60 million SIPRI trend indicator values 1.12 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 563.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values Republic of Korea
2010s 473.20 million SIPRI trend indicator values 977.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values 504.60 million SIPRI trend indicator values Republic of Korea
2020s 1.11 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 747.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 362.60 million SIPRI trend indicator values Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arms imports, Japan or Republic of Korea?
Republic of Korea, at 1.01 billion SIPRI trend indicator values against 977.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in Japan as of 2024.
What is the difference in arms imports between Japan and Republic of Korea?
32.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, with Republic of Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Republic of Korea?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do Japan and Republic of Korea rank globally for arms imports?
Japan ranks 10th and Republic of Korea ranks 7th of 172 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs Republic of Korea: Arms imports. Statizoid, drawing on Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/arms-imports-sipri-trend-indicator-values/japan/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)
Unit
SIPRI trend indicator values
Source
Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
217 places, 9,420 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Arms transfers (imports) cover the volume of transfers of major arms through sales and gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships. Figures are SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (TIVs). A '0' indicates that the volume of deliveries is between 0 and 0.5 million SIPRI TIV.