South Korea vs United Arab Emirates: Arms imports

Arms imports in 2025: 222 million TIV in South Korea and 868 million TIV in United Arab Emirates, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 646 million TIV, or 3.91 times that in South Korea.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

South KoreaUnited Arab EmiratesWorld

What the numbers say

United Arab Emirates has been higher since 2022, when it overtook South Korea.
In 2025, South Korea ranked 35 and United Arab Emirates ranked 9 of 110 countries, counting from the highest.
The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	South Korea	United Arab Emirates	World
2025	222 million	868 million	33.3 billion
2024	1.03 billion	1.09 billion	30.6 billion
2023	218 million	918 million	29.5 billion
2022	423 million	756 million	33 billion
2021	812 million	577 million	26.8 billion
2020	1.27 billion	660 million	23.4 billion
2019	1.61 billion	750 million	26.9 billion
2018	1.03 billion	1.17 billion	27.3 billion
2017	962 million	909 million	31.2 billion
2016	1.04 billion	1.49 billion	31.4 billion
2015	268 million	1.69 billion	28.7 billion
2014	742 million	736 million	27 billion
2013	189 million	2.32 billion	27.4 billion
2012	1.08 billion	1.14 billion	27.9 billion
2011	1.57 billion	1.22 billion	29.9 billion
2010	1.3 billion	650 million	25.8 billion
2009	798 million	604 million	24 billion
2008	1.69 billion	730 million	24.1 billion
2007	1.73 billion	819 million	26.5 billion
2006	1.66 billion	1.93 billion	24.4 billion
2005	801 million	2.07 billion	21.3 billion
2004	1.06 billion	1.15 billion	21.3 billion
2003	767 million	676 million	19.2 billion
2002	519 million	223 million	17.7 billion
2001	768 million	186 million	18.3 billion
2000	1.39 billion	244 million	20.5 billion
1999	1.64 billion	441 million	25.3 billion
1998	1.42 billion	757 million	27.9 billion
1997	1.22 billion	690 million	28.9 billion
1996	1.97 billion	481 million	23.7 billion
1995	1.95 billion	426 million	22.9 billion
1994	1.01 billion	571 million	22.8 billion
1993	1.01 billion	582 million	25.8 billion
1992	782 million	205 million	24.3 billion
1991	908 million	237 million	27.8 billion
1990	1.2 billion	561 million	28.6 billion
1989	1.84 billion	663 million	31.7 billion
1988	1.24 billion	45 million	32.9 billion
1987	773 million	195 million	36.2 billion
1986	857 million	132 million	35.5 billion
1985	760 million	145 million	33.2 billion
1984	524 million	310 million	36.8 billion
1983	496 million	163 million	39.1 billion
1982	673 million	155 million	41.4 billion
1981	872 million	420 million	42 billion
1980	877 million	213 million	37.4 billion
1979	1.32 billion	39 million	33.3 billion
1978	399 million	230 million	39.2 billion
1977	1.2 billion	310 million	37 billion
1976	556 million	275 million	33 billion
1975	661 million	145 million	34.2 billion
1974	458 million	100 million	32.9 billion
1973	269 million	88 million	32.6 billion
1972	413 million	28 million	28.7 billion
1971	250 million	24 million	29.3 billion
1970	100 million	67 million	22.1 billion
1969	586 million	12 million	24.7 billion
1968	359 million	13 million	22.4 billion
1967	137 million	–	22.1 billion
1966	578 million	–	22.4 billion
1965	632 million	–	23.1 billion
1964	332 million	–	24.2 billion
1963	214 million	–	18.1 billion
1962	65 million	–	15.5 billion
1961	113 million	–	15 billion
1960	122 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

South Korea vs United Arab Emirates

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Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Korea: 0 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022