Nuclear powers increased their spending on their arsenals to a record high of approximately $119 billion last year, a 19% surge—a trend expected to continue for decades, according to a report published on Tuesday.
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The report, issued by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), showed that the nine countries possessing nuclear weapons (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea) spent about $17 billion more on their arsenals last year compared to what they spent in 2024.
The report warned that amid escalating geopolitical tensions, "a new nuclear arms race is looming" and is expected to persist "for decades."
The previous day, researchers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warned that nuclear-armed countries are taking weapons out of storage and deploying them on delivery systems, at a time when weapons of mass destruction are playing an increasing role in global politics.
Susi Snyder, an official at the organization who co-authored the report, stated that the increased spending on nuclear arsenals, along with concerns that artificial intelligence could raise the risk of using nuclear weapons, is deeply alarming.
"I am terrified," she told AFP.
- "The Level of Risk is Increasing" -
SIPRI reported that the world's powers possess an estimated total of 12,187 warheads, about 9,745 of which are in stockpiles waiting to be used.
SIPRI Director Karim Haggag told AFP: "What is most concerning is that despite the decline in the quantities of nuclear weapons, the level of nuclear risks and nuclear threats is increasing."
SIPRI expects a reversal in the declining trend of nuclear weapons stockpiles in the coming years, "as the pace of dismantling slows down while the deployment of new nuclear weapons accelerates."
Haggag listed a number of worrying indicators, including the collapse of strategic arms control systems, such as international treaties, and the competition among major nuclear-armed powers.
The United States and Russia together possess about 83% of the world's nuclear weapons stockpile, with each holding more than 5,000 nuclear warheads.
As for China, it is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country. SIPRI estimates that it currently possesses 620 warheads, and based on how it intends to structure its forces, its number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) could equal the stockpile of either the United States or Russia by 2030.
"The intensifying geopolitical competition means there is a strong incentive for China to increase its reliance on nuclear weapons," Haggag said.
According to ICAN's report, Washington spent more than all other countries combined, allocating $69.2 billion to nuclear weapons in 2025, an increase of $12.4 billion from the previous year. It was followed by China, which according to the report spent $13.5 billion last year, then Britain with $12.6 billion, and Russia with $9.5 billion.
The organization, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, found that over the past five years, the nine countries have spent more than $470 billion on their arsenals.
- "A War Crime" -
These investments are expected to grow in the future.
By examining long-term spending growth forecasts, the organization highlighted figures from Britain, France, and the United States showing plans to spend billions of dollars to develop and maintain these weapons systems into the next century.
Other countries are also introducing new weapons systems with a long life expectancy.
According to the organization, the future "Sentinel" intercontinental ballistic missiles that the United States plans to launch are expected to remain in service beyond the year 2100, while the increase in US production of plutonium pits indicates that nuclear warheads will maintain their viability until the year 2120.
Researchers said the vast sums spent are particularly shocking at a time when the global humanitarian system is suffering from significant funding cuts.
Snyder pointed out that "what these countries spent in 2025 could have covered 32 years of the United Nations' operating budget," adding that spending just one day on nuclear weapons last year could have provided food security for more than two million people.
The official continued: "Instead of providing assistance or ensuring basic services like healthcare for their citizens, nuclear-armed states were investing in an 'arsenal they themselves know they cannot use without committing a war crime.'"
AFP
