Iran vs United Arab Emirates: Arms imports

Arms imports: 42 million TIV in Iran in 2024 and 868 million TIV in United Arab Emirates in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 1.04 billion TIV, or 26 times that in Iran.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

IranUnited Arab EmiratesWorld

What the numbers say

United Arab Emirates has been higher since 2003, when it overtook Iran.
The world as a whole: 30.6 billion TIV in 2024.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	Iran	United Arab Emirates	World
2025	–	868 million	33.3 billion
2024	42 million	1.09 billion	30.6 billion
2023	21 million	918 million	29.5 billion
2022	–	756 million	33 billion
2021	–	577 million	26.8 billion
2020	2 million	660 million	23.4 billion
2019	3 million	750 million	26.9 billion
2018	3 million	1.17 billion	27.3 billion
2017	3 million	909 million	31.2 billion
2016	413 million	1.49 billion	31.4 billion
2015	11 million	1.69 billion	28.7 billion
2014	14 million	736 million	27 billion
2013	14 million	2.32 billion	27.4 billion
2012	39 million	1.14 billion	27.9 billion
2011	89 million	1.22 billion	29.9 billion
2010	87 million	650 million	25.8 billion
2009	92 million	604 million	24 billion
2008	57 million	730 million	24.1 billion
2007	325 million	819 million	26.5 billion
2006	418 million	1.93 billion	24.4 billion
2005	53 million	2.07 billion	21.3 billion
2004	117 million	1.15 billion	21.3 billion
2003	283 million	676 million	19.2 billion
2002	435 million	223 million	17.7 billion
2001	526 million	186 million	18.3 billion
2000	417 million	244 million	20.5 billion
1999	321 million	441 million	25.3 billion
1998	374 million	757 million	27.9 billion
1997	172 million	690 million	28.9 billion
1996	608 million	481 million	23.7 billion
1995	289 million	426 million	22.9 billion
1994	451 million	571 million	22.8 billion
1993	960 million	582 million	25.8 billion
1992	406 million	205 million	24.3 billion
1991	990 million	237 million	27.8 billion
1990	444 million	561 million	28.6 billion
1989	194 million	663 million	31.7 billion
1988	469 million	45 million	32.9 billion
1987	807 million	195 million	36.2 billion
1986	805 million	132 million	35.5 billion
1985	639 million	145 million	33.2 billion
1984	562 million	310 million	36.8 billion
1983	466 million	163 million	39.1 billion
1982	499 million	155 million	41.4 billion
1981	487 million	420 million	42 billion
1980	278 million	213 million	37.4 billion
1979	526 million	39 million	33.3 billion
1978	3.72 billion	230 million	39.2 billion
1977	5.48 billion	310 million	37 billion
1976	4.65 billion	275 million	33 billion
1975	5.23 billion	145 million	34.2 billion
1974	2.86 billion	100 million	32.9 billion
1973	2.05 billion	88 million	32.6 billion
1972	1.38 billion	28 million	28.7 billion
1971	2.1 billion	24 million	29.3 billion
1970	899 million	67 million	22.1 billion
1969	950 million	12 million	24.7 billion
1968	917 million	13 million	22.4 billion
1967	553 million	–	22.1 billion
1966	601 million	–	22.4 billion
1965	496 million	–	23.1 billion
1964	139 million	–	24.2 billion
1963	105 million	–	18.1 billion
1962	83 million	–	15.5 billion
1961	75 million	–	15 billion
1960	141 million	–	15.7 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Iran vs United Arab Emirates

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Conflict

Deaths in conflictsIran: 360 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022