16.12.2016THE SIPRI TOP 100 ARMS-PRODUCING AND MILITARY SERVICES COMPANIES, 2015
By Aude Fleurant, Sam Perlo-Freeman, Pieter D Wezeman, Siemon T Wezeman and Noel Kelly for Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
This SIPRI Fact Sheet lists the top 100 arms-producing and military services companies in 2015 and describes the international arms sales trends that unfolded during the year. Although there was a slight decrease in arms sales revenues when compared to the previous year, profits in 2015 were still 37 per cent higher than in 2002, when SIPRI began recording such data.
This article was originally published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in December 2016.
KEY FACTS
- The arms sales of the SIPRI Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies (excluding China) were $370.7 billion in 2015. This represents a decrease of 0.6 per cent compared with 2014 and is the fifth consecutive year of decline.
- US-based companies’ arms sales for 2015 fell by 2.9 per cent to $209.7 billion, due to ongoing limitations on government spending, including military spending. However, with a 56.6 per cent share of the Top 100 arms sales in 2015, US companies’ arms revenues remain way ahead of those of other countries.
- Following five consecutive years of declining sales, West European Top 100 arms producers’ sales increased by 6.6 per cent to $95.7 billion in 2015. With combined sales of $21.4 billion, the six French companies listed in the Top 100 increased their arms sales by 13.1 per cent, helping to drive regional arms sales growth.
- South Korean companies in the Top 100 increased their arms sales by 31.7 per cent in 2015 to a total of $7.7 billion, reflecting growing domestic military procurement and rising export sales.
- Growth in the Russian arms industry continued in 2015. The combined arms sales for Russian companies in the Top 100 totalled $30.1 billion, a 6.2 per cent rise compared with 2014. However, this growth rate is substantially lower than the 48.4 per cent increase recorded between 2013 and 2014.
THE SIPRI TOP 100 ARMS-PRODUCING AND MILITARY SERVICES COMPANIES, 2015 (823 KB)
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