According to SIPRI, Morocco and Algeria persist in an arms race, ranking as Africa's largest arms importers. This is despite a significant decline in their acquisitions during the period 2019-2023, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, Morocco spent more than $3.76 billion on military expenditure. While the Kingdom increased its military spendings by only $65 million, Algeria allocated $10.33 billion to military expenses.
In 2018, Morocco’s military spending reached $3.5 billion. During the same period, Algeria spent $9.6 billion on defense, revealed SIPRI in a recent report on global military spending.
According to data made public by SIPRI’s 2018 Trends in International Arms Transfers, Morocco and Algeria are the largest arms importers in Africa. The USA and France were the main suppliers of arms to the Kingdom in 2014–18.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has released on Monday the military spending map of several countries. Morocco, according to the survey, spent in 2016 USD 3 293 million on military weapons, equipments, and research, a very modest number compared to Algeria.