In the past five years, international arms sales have been on the rise, leading to a significant growth in the global arms trade. A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reveals that the United States is the largest recipient of these weapons, followed closely by China, India, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Israel, Pakistan, and South Korea. Collectively, these countries spent a staggering $91 billion on international arms purchases, with the United States alone accounting for more than half of this amount, at $51.5 billion.

China secured the second spot in terms of arms imports, spending $11.8 billion, while Russia came in third with $8.3 billion worth of purchases. In total, global arms spending exceeded $10.8 billion in 2023, with the United States contributing a substantial 80% to this figure.

Interestingly, the United Kingdom witnessed a significant surge in arms spending, experiencing a 17% increase compared to the previous year. The country’s arms purchases reached $8.1 billion. Additionally, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Korea also saw a substantial rise of over 33% in their arms acquisitions, resulting in a combined total of $68.2 billion in 2018 when ICAN first released its report.

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