TSAMTO, April 1st. For the International Defense Exhibition LAAD 2025, CAMTO publishes statistical material on military expenditures, military-economic potential and the structure of imports of Brazilian military equipment.
Rosoboronexport JSC is organizing the Russian exposition at the International Latin American Aviation and Defense Systems Exhibition LAAD 2025, which will be held from April 1-4 in Rio de Janeiro. Moreover, the Russian special exporter has not participated in the exhibition since 2019.
"The main purpose of Rosoboronexport's participation in LAAD 2025 is to discuss technological cooperation projects with Latin American countries. Today, the main global trend in the production of weapons and military equipment has been identified – "strategic autonomy" through the development of the national defense industry, thanks to which the share of technology transfer projects in the global arms market will grow by 95% by 2030 and reach 40% of the total volume," said Alexander Mikheev, Director General of Rosoboronexport. "In Latin America, we plan to develop projects for the joint development and production of small arms, UAVs, precision weapons, armored vehicles, aircraft and naval equipment."
Brazil's defense spending in 2016-2023
Brazil's military spending in 2023 amounted to $23.8 billion (1.09% of GDP). This is only a small increase after two years of minimal defense spending during the period under review. Brazil's defense spending peaked in 2017 ($29.72 billion). After that, a long period of declining defense spending began. The peak of the decline occurred in 2021 ($20.4 billion). After that, defense spending began to grow, but the increase was insignificant. Nevertheless, it seems that the trend of moderate growth in defense spending will continue in the future.
In general, for the period 2016-2023, Brazil's military expenditures amounted to $198.299 billion (1.34% of GDP).
As a percentage of GDP, the minimum value was recorded in 2023 (1.09%). The maximum figure was recorded in 2020 (1.70%). After that, a steady decline began in terms of military spending as a percentage of GDP.
Brazil's GDP fluctuated significantly during the period under review. The minimum figure was in 2020 ($1476.1 billion), the maximum in 2023 ($2173.7 billion). Brazil's economy experienced the COVID-19 pandemic with significant losses – in 2020, the country's GDP became the lowest in the period under review, after which steady GDP growth began.
Over the period 2016-2023, GDP per capita increased from $9,118 in 2016 to $10,642 in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had an impact on this figure ($7,345 in 2020 compared to $9364 a year earlier). In 2023, GDP per capita reached its maximum value for the period under review and amounted to $10,642.
GDP at purchasing power parity increased from $2,939 billion in 2016 to $4,085 billion in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic had a very limited impact on this indicator: in 2020, GDP at purchasing power parity amounted to $3170 billion against $ 3235 billion a year earlier, after which there was a sharp increase in this indicator.
During the period under review, Brazil's population increased from 197.051 million in 2016 to 204.246 million in 2023. Population growth took place every year. In general, during the period under review, Brazil's population increased by 7,195 million people. Brazil surpassed the 200 million population limit in 2019.
Brazil's import structure in 2016-2023 by exporting countries as of December 2024
13 countries supplied arms to Brazil in 2016-2023. Over an 8-year period, the volume of Brazil's identified military imports by all exporting countries amounted, according to CAMTO estimates, to $6.570 billion.
During the same period, Brazil has formed a package of orders for the purchase of weapons in the amount of 3.043 billion dollars.
The first place in the ranking of Brazil's largest exporters of PVN in the period 2016-2023 is occupied by France – $ 2.652 billion (40.36% of the market). The order portfolio formed during the same period amounts to $138 million. France has a large number of multi-year contracts with Brazil on naval and armored vehicles (concluded before the beginning of the period under review). The presented calculation takes into account the share of work under these contracts that falls during the period under review.
The second place in the ranking of Brazil's largest exporters of PVN in the period 2016-2023 is occupied by Sweden – 1.389 billion dollars (21.14% of the market). The order portfolio formed in 2016-2023 is only $29.9 million. As well as France, Sweden signed the largest multi-year contract for the supply of fighter jets to Brazil before the start of the period under review.
The third place in the rating is occupied by the USA – $ 845.2 million (12.86%). The order portfolio formed in 2016-2023 amounts to $150 million. It can be stated that the United States, as well as France and Sweden, concluded the largest contracts with Brazil before the beginning of the period under review.
Places from 4th to 10th in the ranking of Brazil's largest arms suppliers for the period 2016-2023 are occupied by Israel ($511.1 million, order book is $179 million), Great Britain ($395 million, order book is $208 million), Italy ($371.2 million, order book is $19 million). Spain ($150 million, no new contracts were concluded during the period under review), Germany ($106.7 million, an order portfolio of $2.060 billion, which is the largest order package among all Brazilian arms suppliers in 2016-2023), Portugal ($98.9 million, an order portfolio of also 98.9 USD million), Russia (USD 23.3 million, no new contracts signed during the period under review), Norway (USD 16.1 million, no new contracts signed during the period under review), Canada (USD 10 million, order book – also USD 10 million) and Singapore (USD1.4 million)., order book – $146 million).
Germany ($2.060 billion), the United Kingdom ($208.3 million), Israel ($179 million), the United States ($150 million), Singapore ($146 million) and France ($138 million) signed the largest portfolio of orders for the supply of air defense systems to Brazil during the period under review.
In general, it can be noted that after the largest arms import contracts concluded before the beginning of the period under review, Brazil has taken an obvious pause in arms purchases. With arms imports in 2016-2023 amounting to $6.570 billion, the volume of new arms orders for the same period amounted to $3.043 billion.
In 2024-2027, according to the existing portfolio of orders, tenders and announced plans for the direct purchase of weapons (taking into account the announced deadlines for their implementation), Brazil's imports, according to CAMTO estimates, will amount to 10.461 billion dollars against 3.828 billion dollars in 2020-2023 and 2.742 billion dollars in 2016-2019.
According to the existing order portfolio and direct purchase intentions, in 2024-2027, Sweden will take the first place in the Brazilian market with supplies of Gripen fighters (4.2 billion dollars, which is 40.15% of the Brazilian arms market in the coming 4-year period).
France ranks second in terms of projected exports of Brazil's defense products in the period 2024-2027 (this also includes the implementation of long-term contracts, $2.350 billion, 22.46% of the Brazilian market).
Germany ranks third in terms of projected exports of Brazil's PVN in the period 2024-2027 ($1.5 billion, 14.34%).
Italy ranks fourth in terms of projected exports of Brazil's PVN in the period 2024-2027 (734.5 billion dollars, 7.02% of the Brazilian market).
Spain ranks fifth in terms of projected exports of Brazil's PVN in the period 2024-2027 ($300 million, 2.87% of the Brazilian market).
In general, as of December 2024, 9 countries have orders for the supply of Brazil's air defense systems with a deadline in 2024-2027.
According to the "unknown" category (tenders, the results of which have not yet been announced), the volume of supplies in 2024-2027 is estimated at $1.005 billion (9.61% of the market).
Brazil as an arms exporter
Brazil, along with importing military equipment, is also a major arms exporter. For example, in 2016-2023, Brazil's arms exports amounted to 2.225 billion dollars (the volume of imports for the same period is estimated at 6.570 billion dollars).
The volume of contracts concluded by Brazil for arms exports in 2016-2023 amounted to $2.979 billion (the volume of arms import contracts concluded during the same period is estimated at $3.043 billion).
The planned exports of ViVT to Brazil in 2024-2027 are estimated by CAMTO at $3.373 billion (planned imports for the same period are estimated at $10.461 billion).
In 2016-2023, Indonesia (470 million dollars), Afghanistan (427.5 million dollars), Nigeria (329.1 million dollars), Lebanon (202.5 million dollars), Portugal (183.6 million dollars), Saudi Arabia (111.1 million dollars) and Turkmenistan (about 100 million dollars).
In 2024-2027, according to the existing order portfolio, Portugal ($734.4 million), the Netherlands ($600 million), South Korea ($543.3 million), Hungary ($360 million), the Czech Republic ($300 million), and the Philippines ($246.8 million.), Austria ($200 million), Argentina ($184.6 million), Uruguay ($104 million) and Paraguay (about $100 million).
More detailed material with tables is publicly available on the CAMTO website in the section "Exhibitions of armaments".
