Arms imports in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Arms imports was 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
Change on year
down 71.9%
World rank
54th
of 173 countries
All-time high
1.98 billion SIPRI trend indicator values
in 1989
All-time low
3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2006
Years of data
48
1960–2021
Arms imports in Afghanistan, 1960–2021
Source: Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in SIPRI trend indicator values.
Analysis
In 2021, arms imports in Afghanistan stood at 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values.
The figure is down 71.9% on the previous year and down 89.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arms imports in Afghanistan peaked at 1.98 billion SIPRI trend indicator values in 1989 and was at its lowest, 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, in 2006.
Afghanistan ranks 54th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arms imports in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | SIPRI trend indicator values | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 39.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | — |
| 1961 | 55.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +41.0% |
| 1962 | 64.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +16.4% |
| 1963 | 40.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -37.5% |
| 1964 | 56.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +40.0% |
| 1965 | 91.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +62.5% |
| 1966 | 198.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +117.6% |
| 1967 | 230.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +16.2% |
| 1968 | 145.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -37.0% |
| 1969 | 92.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -36.6% |
| 1970 | 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -90.2% |
| 1971 | 149.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +1555.6% |
| 1972 | 124.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -16.8% |
| 1975 | 90.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -27.4% |
| 1976 | 230.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +155.6% |
| 1977 | 75.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -67.4% |
| 1978 | 253.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +237.3% |
| 1979 | 337.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +33.2% |
| 1980 | 354.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 384.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +8.5% |
| 1982 | 299.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -22.1% |
| 1983 | 241.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -19.4% |
| 1984 | 373.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +54.8% |
| 1985 | 158.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -57.6% |
| 1986 | 288.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +82.3% |
| 1987 | 567.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +96.9% |
| 1988 | 1.00 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +77.2% |
| 1989 | 1.98 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +96.6% |
| 1990 | 1.69 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -14.5% |
| 1991 | 1.24 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -26.9% |
| 2002 | 34.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -97.2% |
| 2005 | 33.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -90.9% |
| 2007 | 40.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +1233.3% |
| 2008 | 148.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +270.0% |
| 2009 | 326.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +120.3% |
| 2010 | 365.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 632.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +73.2% |
| 2012 | 518.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -18.0% |
| 2013 | 253.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -51.2% |
| 2014 | 323.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +27.7% |
| 2015 | 131.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -59.4% |
| 2016 | 171.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +30.5% |
| 2017 | 236.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +38.0% |
| 2018 | 313.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +32.6% |
| 2019 | 381.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +21.7% |
| 2020 | 231.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -39.4% |
| 2021 | 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -71.9% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, 13.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 45.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arms imports in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +1555.6% | 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 149.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values |
| 2007 | +1233.3% | 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 40.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 101.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 39.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 230.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 10 |
| 1970s | 158.38 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 337.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 8 |
| 1980s | 564.50 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 158.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 1.98 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.46 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 1.24 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 1.69 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 2 |
| 2000s | 97.33 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 326.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 6 |
| 2010s | 332.30 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 131.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 632.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 10 |
| 2020s | 148.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 231.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 52 Nigeria 67.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 53 Sweden 66.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 55 Finland 64.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 56 Estonia 63.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 56 Ireland 63.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
More public sector data for Afghanistan
- Democracy, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2021)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2021)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2021)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2021)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arms imports in Afghanistan?
- Arms imports in Afghanistan was 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2021, according to Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest arms imports recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.98 billion SIPRI trend indicator values in 1989.
- What is the lowest arms imports recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2006.
- How does Afghanistan rank for arms imports?
- Afghanistan ranks 54th out of 173 countries with data for 2021.
- Is arms imports rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 89.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.