A new study by Palestinian-American writer Susan Abulhawa says Israel led the world in arms exports per capita in 2025. The study estimated Israeli arms exports at about $263 per person, compared with $41 in the United States and $14 in Russia. Calculated using only Israel’s Jewish population, the figure rose to about $340 per person.

By total arms exports between 2020 and 2025, Israel ranked seventh globally, behind the United States, France, Russia, Germany, China and Italy. The study said Norway was Israel’s closest competitor on a per-capita basis, but Israel’s level was roughly two and a half times higher. Over the 1960-2025 period, Israel also ranked first in average annual per-capita arms exports, at about $56.

Israel’s Defence Ministry said defence exports reached a record $19.2 billion in 2025, nearly 30 percent above $14.8 billion the previous year and the fifth consecutive annual record. SIPRI said Israel’s share of global arms exports rose to 4.4 percent in 2021-25 from 3.1 percent in the prior five-year period.