Germany's Defense Export Figures for 2025
In 2025, Germany approved defense exports valued at a staggering €13.3 billion, maintaining a level that is nearly consistent with the previous year. Notably, African nations received approximately €212.7 million of this total, with Egypt emerging as the largest recipient, securing over €105 million. Following Egypt, Algeria and Morocco received around €53 million and €19 million respectively. The German government's annual defense export report for the previous year was submitted to the Bundestag on August 24, 2026.
Specifically for Egypt, 20 individual approvals were granted, amounting to €105.55 million, placing the North African nation third in the rankings of countries classified as developing nations by the German government, trailing only Ukraine and India. A significant portion of the approval value for Egypt, approximately 82.8%, comprised components for self-propelled howitzers and ballistic vehicle protection. Additionally, approvals were granted for other categories, including military electronics, naval equipment, and military aircraft.
Approval Dynamics and Ethical Considerations
It is essential to note that not all requested deliveries to Egypt received approval, with the German government reporting four rejections across various categories of armaments. The report cites Criterion 2 of the European Union's Common Position on Arms Exports as a key reason for these rejections, emphasizing the importance of respecting human rights and humanitarian law in the recipient country. The German government maintains a stance that arms exports should not be authorized if there exists a reasonable suspicion that the goods could be used for internal repression or ongoing, systematic human rights violations.
In Algeria, 11 individual approvals were granted in 2025, valued at €53.35 million, supplemented by notifications under General Approvals totaling nearly €23,500, bringing the overall recorded value to approximately €53.37 million. A considerable 91.5% of the individual approvals were allocated to trucks, with additional permits issued for fire control equipment, armored vehicles, military aircraft technology, and imaging equipment. For Morocco, Germany issued 26 individual approvals totaling €19.27 million, with over half of this value attributed to locating, detecting, and identification devices, as well as components for target surveillance and tracking systems.
Other African nations also received notable approvals. Mauritania was granted defense goods valued at €8.35 million, primarily consisting of locating, detecting, and identification technology, along with infrared and thermal imaging equipment. South Africa's total reached approximately €8.72 million, largely comprising ammunition for hunting and sports firearms, as well as components for howitzer, cannon, and mortar ammunition. Angola received approvals worth €5.65 million, while Ethiopia, Tunisia, Senegal, and Nigeria received €2.9 million, €1.9 million, €1.45 million, and €1.14 million, respectively. Niger saw defense goods approved for around €361,000, although the report indicated three rejected applications, which involved a protected all-terrain vehicle and parts for ballistic vehicle protection.
Overall, the value of German defense export approvals and the recorded deliveries under General Approvals reached approximately €13.3 billion in 2025, slightly down from €13.4 billion the previous year. The largest single recipient remained Ukraine, with approvals around €2.28 billion, accounting for 17% of the total. Approximately €8.7 billion, or 65% of the total value, was allocated to EU, NATO, and NATO-equivalent states, while third countries, including Ukraine, accounted for about €4.6 billion.
The German government has also expanded the use of General Approvals, with the value of traditional individual approvals declining from €12.83 billion in 2024 to €8.57 billion in 2025. Additionally, notifications from General Approvals amounted to around €4.7 billion last year. The approval values reported do not equate to actual arms deliveries; instead, they encompass granted export permits as well as the relevant reporting data from companies under General Approvals.
As reported by fokus-afrika.de.
