Here are the top ten weapon exporting countries based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) for the period 2016-2020:
- United States – 36% of global arms exports
- Russia – 21% of global arms exports
- France – 7.9% of global arms exports
- Germany – 5.8% of global arms exports
- China – 5.2% of global arms exports
- United Kingdom – 4.5% of global arms exports
- Spain – 2.2% of global arms exports
- Italy – 2.2% of global arms exports
- Israel – 2% of global arms exports
- Ukraine – 1.8% of global arms exports
Top Ten Weapon Exporting Countries
No matter how destructive and deadly war might be, arms exports is big business. Of the top ten arms exports, the first spot is occupied by the US, followed by Russia. Let’s take a look at the top ten arms exporters in the world.
The United States
The United States is the topmost arms exporter in the world. Currently, the United States accounts for 33 percent of the global arms exports. Some of the countries that the United States exports arms to are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, South Korea etc.
Russia
Coming at the second spot is Russia which accounted for 25 percent of the global share. India remains the top most client of the country. Some other countries that Russia exports weapons to are China and Vietnam.
China
China occupies the third spot but falls way behind Russia in terms of the global share. Accounting for 5.9 percent of the global share, China is emerging as a major arms exporter. Pakistan is China’s biggest client, followed by Bangladesh. China also exports arms to Myanmar.
France
France is the fourth largest arms exporter in the world. France accounts for 5.6 percent of the global share and its top clients are Greece, UAE, and Singapore.
Germany
Accounting for a global share of 4.7 percent, arms exports of the country are showing fast growth. The United States is one of Germany’s biggest clients. Other nations to which Germany exports arms are Israel, Greece and Turkey.
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom’s global market share of arms exports is 4.5 percent. Its most important client is Saudi Arabia, followed by India and Indonesia.
Spain
Coming at the seventh spot is the European nation of Spain which accounts for some 3.5 percent of the global share. Its biggest client is Australia followed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Italy
Accounting for 2.7 percent of the global share, Italy is the eighth largest arms exporter in the world. Its major clients are UAE, India and Turkey.
Ukraine
Ukraine is the ninth largest arms exporter in the world. It accounts for 2.6 percent of the global arms exports. It exports weapons to China, Russia and Ethiopia.
The Netherlands
Coming at the tenth spot is the Netherlands. Accounting for 2 percent of the global share, the Netherlands exports arms to Morocco, Jordan and the USA. MOW.PB.05.11.2016
Top Ten Weapon Exporting Countries 2016 |
| Exporting Countries | Global Share (%) |
|---|---|
| USA | 33 |
| Russia | 25 |
| China | 5.9 |
| France | 5.6 |
| Germany | 4.7 |
| UK | 4.5 |
| Spain | 3.5 |
| Italy | 2.7 |
| Ukraine | 2.6 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
Source : World nuclear forces, January 2016 / SIPRI Yearbook 2016