Germany has overtaken China to become the world’s fourth-largest weapons exporter over the last five years.
Covering the 2021–2025 period, Germany now holds a 5.7% share of the global market, while China’s share stands at 5.6%, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on March 9.
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The shift highlights a growing trend among European manufacturers to increase production capacity following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The report identifies Ukraine, Egypt, and Israel as the primary recipients of German military exports.
While the gap between the two nations is narrow, China is experiencing a slowdown in its export growth.
Analysts note that Beijing is prioritizing the supply of its own armed forces and transitioning toward the domestic production of complex systems. Pakistan remains the largest buyer of Chinese weaponry, accounting for approximately 80% of the country’s total foreign deliveries.
The top five global arms exporters for 2021–2025 are the United States at 42%, France at 9.8%, and Russia at 6.8%, followed by Germany and China. Although Russia maintains its third-place position, its export figures plummeted by 64% compared to the previous five-year period.
This decline suggests that Germany or China may climb higher in the rankings in the near future.
Germany’s export strength is currently driven by heavy armored vehicles, artillery ammunition, and air defense systems. Equipment such as Leopard 2 tanks, KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, and Boxer armored personnel carriers form the backbone of many European armored fleets.
Additionally, IRIS-T SLM air defense systems have become a central part of the European Sky Shield Initiative.
The German maritime sector also remains a major exporter, specifically regarding submarines and surface warships. These vessels are frequently utilized by navies across the Middle East and Asia.
At the same time, it was reported that Ukraine had become the world’s largest importer of major weapons of 2021–2025. Oppositely, the volume of Russia’s arms exports had decreased nearly threefold.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Ukraine accounted for 9.7% of all global arms imports throughout those five years.
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