Regional Report on Arms Exports 2023

The Regional Arms Exports Report, covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, is the result of 17 years of regional cooperation and commitment to transparency by the authorities of these jurisdictions in sharing their arms export data. The first regional report was published in December 2009.

The 2023 edition reflects several trends similar to those of previous years, while also flagging new ones. In this light, the number of export licenses issued increased from the previous year, with a total of 755 licenses issued by the reporting jurisdictions worldwide in 2023. The utilization of these also rose. Expressed in percentages, 32.91% of the licenses issued were used in 2023 compared to 25.74% in 2022. The total value of exports reached approximately EUR 865.6 million, representing the highest export level ever recorded in the region.

Furthermore, 61.66% of the region's arms exports were related to the ML3 category, as per the EU Common Military List, with ML4 and ML8 following. Serbia remained the leading arms exporter in 2023, accounting for 64.84% of the total exports from the region, while Bosnia and Herzegovina followed with 25.57%. In comparison to the 2022 report, Serbia's share of total exports decreased, while Bosnia and Herzegovina's share remained stable. Conversely, Montenegro’s and North Macedonia’s shares in total exports from the region increased, while Albania reported no exports in 2023.

The 2023 Report also marks certain changes in trends regarding the main export destinations. Namely, North America replaced the EU as the top destination for arms exports from this region. The top five destinations in 2023 were North America, the EU, other European destinations, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Among these, the other European destinations recorded the highest ratio of the value of realized exports to the value of issued licenses at 46.09%, while Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the lowest at 24.15%.

Additionally, exports to both North America and the European Union rose significantly from the previous year, reaching record levels for the region. Exports to the United States grew dramatically, from EUR 63.9 million in 2022 to EUR 304.1 million in 2023, the highest value ever recorded since reporting began, with more than 80% of exports falling under the ML3 category. Exports to the European Union also increased, reaching EUR 207.8 million in 2023 compared to EUR 158.8 million in 2022, marking the region’s highest recorded export volume to the EU.

The top five worldwide destinations for exports from the region in 2023 include the United States, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. 
The Regional Arms Exports Report is a knowledge product developed by SEESAC in partnership with authorities in the Western Balkans. It is financed by the European Union within the framework of the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3006 in support of SEESAC’s disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe, reducing the threat posed by illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition.

To access the 2023 Regional Report on Arms Exports, click here.

To access the five-year analysis of the data on arms exports from the region, click here. 

Previous reports are available here.