9 nuclear powers spent record $119B on weapons in 2025
What's the story
The world's nine nuclear-armed states spent nearly $119 billion on their arsenals last year, a 19% increase from 2024. The figure was reported by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) in a report released Tuesday. The spending surge comes amid rising geopolitical tensions and efforts to modernize and deploy more nuclear stockpiles globally.
Spending increase
'A new nuclear arms race is upon us'
The ICAN report said that a "new nuclear arms race is upon us," and cited concerns over artificial intelligence possibly increasing the risk of nuclear weapons use. Susi Snyder, ICAN's program director and co-author of the report, expressed her fears saying, "To be perfectly honest, I'm terrified." The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also released a study on Monday echoing these concerns amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Warhead statistics
SIPRI report on nuclear risks
SIPRI's report revealed that while the total number of nuclear warheads has been declining for decades, the number of weapons available for use has increased to 9,745. SIPRI director Karim Haggag said despite fewer nuclear weapons, "the level of nuclear dangers and nuclear risks are rising." He cited concerns like the breakdown in strategic arms controls and competition between major powers with nuclear capabilities.
Stockpile distribution
US, Russia, and China lead in nuclear warheads
The United States and Russia together account for around 83% of the world's nuclear arms stockpile, with over 5,000 warheads each. China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, with around 620 warheads. SIPRI's report predicted that overall nuclear arms stockpiles are likely to grow in the coming years as dismantlement slows down while new weapon deployment accelerates.
Spending leaders
US biggest spender on nuclear weapons
The United States was the biggest spender on nuclear weapons last year, shelling out $69.2 billion—more than all other countries combined. China followed with an estimated expenditure of $13.5 billion on its nuclear arsenal, while the UK and Russia spent $12.6 billion and $9.5 billion, respectively. Over the past five years, these nine nuclear powers (US, Russia, China, France, the UK, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea) have spent more than $470 billion on their arsenals.