Nuclear Arms Race Spikes as Global Spending Reaches Nearly $119 Billion
As the world grapples with geopolitical tensions, a new report reveals that global spending on nuclear weapons surged to nearly $119 billion. Who is leading the race, how many warheads each power holds, and who really controls the red button? (World news)
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is launched during an operational test at 1:35 a.m. Pacific time on November 5, 2025, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. (Photo: U.S. Army)
The world continues to arm itself, and the figures revealed in the 2025 and 2026 data are staggering. According to data from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the SIPRI Institute, nuclear-armed states spent a combined total of nearly $119 billion on nuclear weapons in 2025 alone. As of 2026, the global stockpile stands at 12,187 nuclear warheads, spread across just nine countries.
The United States is far ahead when it comes to money, standing in a league of its own. It spent an astonishing $69.2 billion on nuclear weapons. Following it on the list of biggest spenders are China, with $13.5 billion, Britain with $12.6 billion, Russia with $9.5 billion, and France with $7.7 billion.
Other countries, including India ($2.8 billion), Pakistan ($1.5 billion), and Israel, with an estimated expenditure of $1.2 billion, also invest enormous sums in the field. North Korea closes the list with $656 million.
Nuclear weapons, Russian soldiers near the strategic missile system Yars on a street in a city. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Despite the fact that the United States spends the most money, Russia holds the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads as of 2026. Global stockpile ranking:
Russia: 5,420 warheads, of which 1,796 are deployed and operational. United States: 5,042 warheads, 1,770 deployed. China: 620 warheads. France: 370 warheads. Britain: 225 warheads. India: 190 warheads. Pakistan: 170 warheads. Israel: 90 warheads. North Korea: 60 warheads.
These figures are a mirror image of a world locked in an endless arms race, with the two major powers, Russia and the United States, together holding the overwhelming majority of the world's destructive capability. Do these billions guarantee peace, or do they only bring the world closer to the point of no return? The numbers speak for themselves.
