Israel's Per Capita Arms Exports Significantly Outpace US, Russia

Israel's arms exports per capita in 2025 dwarfed those of major global powers like the United States and Russia, according to a recent study. The research indicates that for every Israeli resident, arms exports were valued at approximately $263, a figure six times greater than the $41 per capita recorded in the US and 19 times higher than Russia's $14.

The study, conducted by Palestinian-American author Susan Abulhawa, utilized data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). While the US leads the world in total arms export value, the per capita metric reveals a different picture. If only Israel's Jewish population is considered, the per capita export value rises to $340, eight times that of the US.

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Israel exports weapons worth approximately $263 (RM1,059) per capita last year, compared to $41 (RM165) per capita for Americans and $14 (RM56) in Russia.

Israel ranked seventh globally in total arms exports between 2020 and 2025, following countries like the US, France, Russia, Germany, China, and Italy. However, on a per capita basis, Israel significantly outpaced all other major arms-exporting nations, being about 2.5 times higher than Norway, which ranked second, and over three times higher than the US.

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Israel ranked seventh for total arms exports between 2020 and 2025, after the US, France, Russia, Germany, China, and Italy.

This leading position is not a recent anomaly. The study found that Israel has consistently ranked as the world's top per capita arms exporter or been among the top contenders nearly every year for the past 25 years. Over the longer period recorded in the SIPRI database, from 1960 to 2025, Israel also recorded the highest average per capita arms export value, averaging $56 per person annually over 65 years.

The research further examined the significance of arms exports within Israel's economy. In 2023, Israeli arms exports accounted for about 0.25% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more than three times that of France and over six times that of the US, according to SIPRI data. However, SIPRI's figures do not encompass a substantial portion of Israel's lucrative trade in drones, ammunition, small arms, cyber technology, surveillance equipment, services, and training. Broader government figures on defense contracts show Israel recorded $13 billion in arms export deals in 2023, representing approximately 2.5% of the country's GDP.

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Israel has been the world's largest arms exporter per capita or among the top group almost every year for the past 25 years.