United States vs World: Arms imports

United States
1.21 billion SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2024
World
28.82 billion SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2024
United States rank
3rd
World rank
1st

Arms imports over time

  • United States
  • World
010.0B20.0B30.0B40.0B196019922024

How they compare

World currently reports 28.82 billion SIPRI trend indicator values against 1.21 billion SIPRI trend indicator values in United States, a difference of 27.61 billion SIPRI trend indicator values.

That makes World's figure about 23.8 times United States's.

Across all 65 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.

United States ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 172 countries.

World has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade United States World Difference Ahead
1960s 171.50 million SIPRI trend indicator values 20.32 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 20.15 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World
1970s 452.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 32.07 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 31.61 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World
1980s 864.10 million SIPRI trend indicator values 36.58 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 35.71 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World
1990s 583.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values 25.77 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 25.19 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World
2000s 658.70 million SIPRI trend indicator values 21.62 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 20.96 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World
2010s 702.90 million SIPRI trend indicator values 28.08 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 27.38 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World
2020s 887.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values 28.32 billion SIPRI trend indicator values 27.44 billion SIPRI trend indicator values World

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arms imports, United States or World?
World, at 28.82 billion SIPRI trend indicator values against 1.21 billion SIPRI trend indicator values in United States as of 2024.
What is the difference in arms imports between United States and World?
27.61 billion SIPRI trend indicator values, with World ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for United States and World?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do United States and World rank globally for arms imports?
United States ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st 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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United States vs World: Arms imports. Statizoid, drawing on Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/arms-imports-sipri-trend-indicator-values/united-states/world/

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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.