Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Japan and more: Top 7 biggest buyers of US arms

The Trump administration’s agreement to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia marked a major shift in US defence diplomacy, opening the door to a fighter programme Riyadh had been excluded from for years. Saudi Arabia had long been considered the biggest buyer of US weapons, but the decision reignited a larger question: which countries had actually been receiving the bulk of America’s arms?

The latest SIPRI data, published in 2024, showed that US weapons exports during 2020–24 had become heavily concentrated among a small group of nations. Europe had overtaken the Middle East for the first time in two decades, a shift driven by wartime demand and fast-tracked deliveries. The pattern illustrated not only evolving military partnerships but an accelerating global security realignment shaped by conflict and strategic calculations.

Ukraine is the top recipient of US weapons, receiving 9.3 per cent of all US arms exports during 2020–24 and accounting for 26 per cent of those directed to Europe. Most deliveries had been provided as aid rather than commercial sales, and 71 per cent had consisted of second-hand equipment taken directly from US military stocks for rapid deployment. The unprecedented scale of transfers made Ukraine the world’s largest importer of major arms in the period, representing a near hundred-fold increase compared with 2015–19.

Despite the Middle East’s share of US exports shrinking from 49 per cent in 2015–19 to 33 per cent in 2020–24, Saudi Arabia remains the biggest individual customer for American weapons. It accounts for 12 per cent of total US arms transfers. Even as Washington reduced exports to the region overall, Saudi Arabia retained its dominant position inside the Gulf.

Japan received 8.8 per cent of US arms exports and was the leading buyer in Asia and Oceania, a region that collectively absorbed 28 per cent of US transfers during 2020–24. The United States supplied 97 per cent of Japan’s major arms imports, and Japan increased its total weapons acquisitions by 93 per cent compared with 2015–19, mirroring rising security anxieties and defence modernisation.

Qatar had accounted for 7.7 per cent of US arms transfers during the period, securing a place among the world’s top ten importers despite the overall decline in Middle Eastern imports. Its continued high level of purchases reflected the enduring demand for advanced military systems across the Gulf.

Australia received 6.7 per cent of US arms exports, according to the 2020-24 report. Although its total imports had dropped by 27 per cent compared with 2015–19, Canberra placed large future-facing orders, including nuclear-powered submarines, that ensured continued dependence on US military supply chains and alliance frameworks.

South Korea takes 5.3 per cent of America’s arms exports and remains significantly reliant on Washington, with 86 per cent of its major weapons imports sourced from the United States. Its total imports declined by 24 per cent compared with the previous five-year period, yet it still ranked among the world’s top ten importers.

Kuwait’s 4.4 per cent share of US arms exports secures its place within the top tier of American defence partners. Even as the Middle East’s overall intake diminished, Kuwait remained a key customer and an important component of US–Gulf security cooperation.