Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security

Key Chapter Title List

1. International Stability, Human Security, and Nuclear Challenges
2. Armed Conflict and Conflict Management
3. Military Expenditure
4. Arms Production and Military Services
5. International Arms Transfers
6. World Nuclear Forces
7. Proliferation and Use of Missiles and Armed Drones
8. Nuclear Disarmament, Arms Control, Non-proliferation, and Security
9. Chemical Weapons and Security Threats
10. Biological Weapons and Security Threats
11. Conventional Arms Control and Inhumane Weapons Regulation
12. Artificial Intelligence and International Peace and Security
13. Cyber and Digital Threats
14. Space Security Governance
15. Dual-use Goods and Arms Trade Control

Document Introduction

The summary of the "SIPRI Yearbook 2025: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security," published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), systematically reviews the continued deterioration of the global security environment in 2024. The report notes that global military expenditure grew for the tenth consecutive year in 2024, reaching a record $2.7 trillion, with the global military burden (military spending as a share of global GDP) rising to 2.5%. Concurrently, the number of deaths from armed conflicts climbed to its highest point since 2018, reaching 239,000, with major conflicts concentrated in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and Ethiopia. The report argues that the era of nuclear weapons reduction appears to be over, the US-Russia bilateral nuclear arms control mechanism is near collapse, and a new, more complex, and higher-risk nuclear arms race is brewing, expanding its competition into new technological domains such as cyberspace, space, and the oceans.

Based on SIPRI's unique open-source data and analytical framework, this report is structured into three main sections. The first part focuses on international security and armed conflict, assessing conflict intensity, changes in fatalities, and limited progress in peace processes across global regions. The second part provides a detailed analysis of key armament indicators, including military expenditure, arms production, international arms trade, nuclear force postures, and the proliferation of missiles and drones. Data shows that Europe saw the largest increase in military spending (+83%, 2015-2024), and US military spending ($997 billion) was approximately 3.2 times that of China ($314 billion). The total volume of international arms transfers remained relatively stable, but transfers to Europe surged by 155%, with Ukraine becoming the largest importer. The global nuclear arsenal continued to decline overall, but all nuclear-armed states are advancing modernization plans, with China's estimated nuclear warhead inventory increasing to 600.

The third part delves into the challenges and progress in the fields of arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation. The report points out that against the backdrop of Trump's return to the White House and a lack of strategic trust among major powers, the prospects for nuclear disarmament are bleak. The New START treaty is set to expire in 2026, potentially leading to unconstrained nuclear arms expansion. The chemical and biological weapons convention regimes face challenges regarding compliance and credibility, while conventional arms control, particularly the use of cluster munitions (primarily in Ukraine in 2024), raises serious humanitarian concerns. The report also dedicates chapters to analyzing the profound impact of emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and space security on international peace and security, noting that the development of military AI applications, cyberattacks, and counterspace capabilities are becoming new sources of strategic risk.

The report concludes with an annex listing arms control and disarmament agreements as of early 2025, a chronology of major events in 2024, and an introduction to SIPRI's series of specialized databases (military expenditure, arms industry, arms transfers, arms embargoes, etc.), providing indispensable primary data and comprehensive analytical tools for professional researchers. This summary distills the core findings of the Yearbook, aiming to provide policymakers, analysts, and scholars with an authoritative and objective assessment basis for understanding current global security trends and challenges.