India ranked world's largest arms importer: SIPRI
19 Mar 2012
India has emerged as the world's largest recipient of arms with South Korea placed second and Pakistan and China tied at the third place, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in a study on international arms transfers.
The volume of worldwide arms transfers in 2007-11 was 24 per cent higher than in 2002-06 while the five largest arms importers in 2007-11 were all Asian states, according to a press communiqué.
According to SIPRI data, Asia and Oceania accounted for a whopping 44 per cent of global arms imports, with Europe at 19 per cent, the Middle East 17 per cent, and the Americas 11 per cent and Africa at 9 per cent making up the rest.
India was the world's largest arms recipient, accounting for 10 per cent of global arms imports.
South Korea (6 per cent), Pakistan (5 per cent), China (5 per cent) and Singapore (4 per cent) were the other large importers of arms in 2007-11.
According to Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, major Asian importing states were seeking to develop their own arms industries and lower their reliance on external sources of supply. He added a large share of arms deliveries was due to licensed production.
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