SIPRI data: These are the countries that sell and buy the most weapons, where does Pakistan stand in comparison to India?
International reports say that India is still the top importer of foreign arms and military equipment between 2012 and 2018. According to the latest data released by the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the world’s largest arms importer between 2018 and 2022.
Due to the increasing apprehension of Chinese infiltration and the nefarious activities of Pakistan, the Indian Army is ready on LAC and LOC. India’s defense sector has been greatly strengthened by the steps taken in the defense sector in recent years. Along with this, under the slogan of Prime Minister Modi’s self-reliant India, the Ministry of Defense has made a significant cut in the import of arms and military equipment. International reports say that India is still the top importer of foreign arms and military equipment between 2012 and 2018. According to the latest data released by the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the world’s largest arms importer between 2018 and 2022, accounting for 11 per cent of global imports.
India is the largest market for Russian arms exports
The data is part of SIPRI’s Trends in International Arms Transfers 2022 report, which states that India was the largest market for Russian arms exports from 2018 to 2022. India received 31 percent of the total arms exported by Russia during this period. However, Russian arms exports to India declined by 37 per cent as compared to the period 2013-17. At the same time, arms transfers to China accounted for 23 percent of Russian arms exports between 2018 and 2022 – a 37 percent increase from the 2013-17 period.
Kiev became the third largest importer of weapons
SIPRI found that as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev emerged as the third largest importer of arms in 2022. Before the war, Ukraine was the world’s 14th largest arms importer between 2018 and 2022. The data released by SIPRI also highlights the “evergreen friendship” between Pakistan and China. According to it, China accounted for 77 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports in the period 2018-2022, indicating the extent to which Islamabad is dependent on Beijing for its military needs.
Pakistan at number eight
SIPRI has identified India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia and China as the top five arms importers in 2018-22. It accounted for 36 percent of global arms imports during this period. India’s share globally was 11 per cent, followed by Saudi Arabia with 9.6 per cent and Qatar with 6.4 per cent. The data identified the US, Russia, France, China and Germany as the five largest arms exporters. The five countries alone accounted for 76 percent of global arms transfers between 2018 and 2022. Pakistan is at number eight.