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Jun 12, 2026
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Global Nuclear Weapons Spending Hits Record $119bn

AI Summary
Global spending on nuclear weapons reached a record high of $119bn in 2025, with the United States accounting for the largest share at $69.2bn. The surge in spending comes as nuclear-armed states plan to retain their arsenals for decades.

The Surge in Nuclear Weapons Spending

Global spending on nuclear weapons last year rose to an all-time high of $119bn, according to a report by nonproliferation advocates. The world's nine nuclear-armed countries spent an additional $16.8bn on their arsenals in 2025 compared with the previous year, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) said in its latest report.

Breakdown of Nuclear Spending by Country

The United States spent an estimated $69.2bn, a rise of $12.6bn, and more than all other nuclear powers combined, ICAN said. China was the second-biggest spender, with an estimated $13.5bn, followed by the United Kingdom with $12.6bn, Russia with $9.5bn and France with $7.7bn.

  • United States: $69.2bn
  • China: $13.5bn
  • United Kingdom: $12.6bn
  • Russia: $9.5bn
  • France: $7.7bn
  • India: $2.8bn
  • Pakistan: Not specified
  • Israel: Not specified
  • North Korea: $656m

The Implications of Rising Nuclear Spending

ICAN said nuclear-armed states spent a combined $471bn over the past five years, with all of them planning to retain their arsenals for decades more. The report comes just a day after the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute warned that nuclear states were 'sidelining' and 'walking away from' nuclear disarmament commitments in favour of modernising and enhancing their arsenals.

The Global Nuclear Landscape

The nine nuclear-armed states are estimated to possess more than 12,000 warheads between them, with the vast majority held by the US and Russia. In 2017, the United Nations adopted the first legally-binding global treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, but no country with nuclear weapons has signed the treaty.