Countries
Ranked: Share of Global Arms Exports in 2022
Ranked: Share of Global Arms Exports 2018–2022
In 2022, global military budgets hit $2.2 trillion, an eighth consecutive year of increase.
Part of those budgets were used for the procurement of arms, but which countries are major weapons suppliers, and how do they influence the global arms trade?
We chart out the top 10 countries with the biggest share of global arms exports using data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Which Country Exports the Most Weapons?
The U.S. is the biggest weapons exporter, accounting for 40% of the total volume of international arms transfers between 2018–2022. Nearly one-fifth of these exports headed to Saudi Arabia, and other significant amounts went to Japan (8.6%) and Australia (8.4%).
Below we rank the biggest weapons exporters by share of total volume traded in 2018–2022, as well as their growth or decline from trends recorded in 2013–2017.
| Rank | Country | % share of global arms exports (2018-2022) | % change between 2013-17 & 2018-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 40% | +14% |
| 2 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 16% | -31% |
| 3 | 🇫🇷 France | 11% | +44% |
| 4 | 🇨🇳 China | 5% | -23% |
| 5 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 4% | -35% |
| 6 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 4% | +45% |
| 7 | 🇬🇧 UK | 3% | -35% |
| 8 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 3% | -4% |
| 9 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2% | +74% |
| 10 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 2% | -15% |
| N/A | 🌐 Rest of World | 9% | N/A |
Russia (16%) and France (11%) rank close together, followed by China (5%) and Germany (4%) to round out the top five major arms exporters.
However France’s export volumes grown considerably (+44%) from the previous five-year period, thanks to big sales to India, which included 62 combat aircraft and four submarines, one-third of all French weapons trade. This has resulted in France leapfrogging the U.S. as India’s second-largest weapons supplier after Russia.
On the other hand, Russia’s exports by volume has decreased (-31%) even before sanctions kicked in after the invasion of Ukraine. Its biggest trade partners, India and China, have prioritized developing their own weapons industries.
South Korea’s Surging Weapons Exports
Another country whose arms sales are skyrocketing is South Korea, which ranks 9th in the overall share of global arms exports, but has seen a 74% increase in its export volumes. Key recipients include the Philippines, India, and Thailand.
South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to grow his country into the world’s fourth largest arms exporter by 2027.
Interestingly, South Korea is one of three countries which is both a top-10 arms exporter and importer (along with China and the U.S.) as it has many takers for domestically produced military equipment, while simultaneously being reliant on American-produced long-range missiles and advanced combat aircraft.
Demographics
Countries With the Largest Happiness Gains Since 2010
Tracking Gallup survey data for more than a decade reveals insights into the regions seeing happiness gains.
Countries With the Largest Happiness Gains Since 2010
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
In 2011, Bhutan sponsored a UN resolution that invited governments to prioritize happiness and well-being as a way to measure social and economic development.
And thus, the World Happiness Report was born.
In 2012, the first report released, examining Gallup poll data from 2006–2010 that asked respondents in nearly every country to evaluate their life on a 0–10 scale. From this they extrapolated a single “happiness score” out of 10 to compare how happy countries are.
More than a decade later, the 2024 World Happiness Report continues the mission to quantify, measure, and compare well-being. Its latest findings also include how countries have become happier in the intervening years.
We visualize these findings in the above chart, which shows the 20 countries that have seen their happiness scores grow the most since 2010.
Which Countries Have Become Happier Since 2010?
Serbia leads a list of 12 Eastern European nations whose average happiness score has improved more than 20% in the last decade.
In the same time period, the Serbian economy has doubled to $80 billion, and its per capita GDP has nearly doubled to $9,538 in current dollar terms.
| Rank | Country | Happiness Score Gains (2010–2024) | 2024 Happiness Score (out of 10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | +1.8 | 6.4 |
| 2 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | +1.6 | 5.5 |
| 3 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | +1.5 | 6.2 |
| 4 | 🇨🇬 Congo | +1.4 | 5.2 |
| 5 | 🇷🇴 Romania | +1.3 | 6.5 |
| 6 | 🇨🇳 China | +1.3 | 6.0 |
| 7 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | +1.3 | 5.2 |
| 8 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | +1.2 | 6.8 |
| 9 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | +1.2 | 6.0 |
| 10 | 🇹🇬 Togo | +1.2 | 4.2 |
| 11 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | +1.2 | 6.3 |
| 12 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | +1.1 | 6.6 |
| 13 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | +1.1 | 5.7 |
| 14 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | +1.1 | 6.4 |
| 15 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | +1.1 | 6.0 |
| 16 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | +1.0 | 5.9 |
| 17 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | +1.0 | 5.4 |
| 18 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | +1.0 | 5.5 |
| 19 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | +1.0 | 6.2 |
| 20 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | +1.0 | 5.7 |
| N/A | 🌍 World | +0.1 | 5.5 |
Since the first report, Western Europe has on average been happier than Eastern Europe. But as seen with these happiness gains, Eastern Europe is now seeing their happiness levels converge closer to their Western counterparts. In fact, when looking at those under the age of 30, the most recent happiness scores are nearly the same across the continent.
All in all, 20 countries have increased their happiness score by a full point or more since 2010, on the 0–10 scale.
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