Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) was 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
Change on year
up 153.0%
Rank
40th
of 45 groups
All-time high
2.63 billion SIPRI trend indicator values
in 1978
All-time low
71.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
in 1960
Years of data
51
1960–2025
Arms imports in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1960–2025
Source: Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in SIPRI trend indicator values.
Analysis
In 2025, arms imports in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 153.0% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arms imports in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 2.63 billion SIPRI trend indicator values in 1978 and was at its lowest, 71.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, in 1960.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 40th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | SIPRI trend indicator values | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 71.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | — |
| 1962 | 327.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +360.6% |
| 1963 | 628.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +92.0% |
| 1964 | 431.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -31.4% |
| 1965 | 503.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +16.7% |
| 1966 | 768.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +52.7% |
| 1967 | 466.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -39.3% |
| 1968 | 305.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -34.5% |
| 1969 | 471.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +54.4% |
| 1970 | 1.24 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +162.4% |
| 1971 | 874.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -29.3% |
| 1972 | 582.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -33.4% |
| 1973 | 728.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +25.1% |
| 1974 | 799.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 1.43 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +78.6% |
| 1976 | 1.26 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -11.7% |
| 1977 | 2.17 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +72.5% |
| 1978 | 2.63 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +20.9% |
| 1979 | 1.05 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -60.1% |
| 1980 | 1.18 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +12.7% |
| 1981 | 1.65 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +39.7% |
| 1982 | 1.37 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -16.8% |
| 1983 | 1.39 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 1.13 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -18.3% |
| 1985 | 1.08 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 1.55 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +44.1% |
| 1987 | 1.88 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +20.9% |
| 1988 | 1.27 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | -32.4% |
| 1989 | 323.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -74.5% |
| 1990 | 273.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -15.5% |
| 1991 | 224.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -17.9% |
| 1993 | 401.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +79.0% |
| 1994 | 413.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 97.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -76.5% |
| 1996 | 312.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +221.6% |
| 1997 | 350.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +12.2% |
| 2000 | 522.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +49.1% |
| 2001 | 403.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -22.8% |
| 2005 | 598.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +48.4% |
| 2006 | 1.03 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +73.1% |
| 2007 | 1.08 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 768.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -29.0% |
| 2009 | 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -45.3% |
| 2011 | 1.13 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | +169.3% |
| 2012 | 988.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -12.6% |
| 2013 | 563.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -43.0% |
| 2014 | 308.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -45.3% |
| 2015 | 330.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +7.1% |
| 2022 | 259.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -21.5% |
| 2023 | 166.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | -35.9% |
| 2025 | 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | +153.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) in Africa Eastern and Southern 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +360.6% | 71.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 327.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 441.11 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 71.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 768.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.28 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 582.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 2.63 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.28 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 323.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 1.88 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 10 |
| 1990s | 295.71 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 97.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 413.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 7 |
| 2000s | 689.57 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 403.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 1.08 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 7 |
| 2010s | 664.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 308.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 1.13 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 5 |
| 2020s | 281.67 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 166.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 3 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 37 China 207.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 38 Estonia 204.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 39 New Zealand 200.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 40 Vietnam 177.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 41 Serbia 146.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 41 Sweden 146.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
- 43 Croatia 141.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
More public sector data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.2212 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -35.66 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 166.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 17.76 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0109 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -0.536 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 13.66 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 11.17 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per square kilometre 924.33 current USD per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arms imports in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Arms imports in Africa Eastern and Southern was 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2025, according to Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest arms imports recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 2.63 billion SIPRI trend indicator values in 1978.
- What is the lowest arms imports recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 1960.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for arms imports?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 40th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is arms imports rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern 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 — 51 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.