Global spending on nuclear weapons increased by 13% in 2023, reaching a record $91.4 billion, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican). This $10.7 billion rise from the previous year is mainly due to heightened defense budgets in the US amidst geopolitical tensions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
All nine nuclear-armed nations have boosted their spending, with the US leading at $51.5 billion, followed by China at $11.9 billion, and Russia at $8.3 billion. The UK and France spent $8.1 billion and $6.1 billion, respectively. However, estimating the expenditures of authoritarian states and nations with undeclared nuclear programs, like India, Pakistan, and Israel, is challenging due to limited transparency.
Susy Snyder, one of the researchers, warned that nuclear spending could reach $100 billion annually, arguing these funds could instead support environmental and social initiatives. She emphasized the potential benefits for climate change mitigation and global health and education.
Over the past five years, nuclear weapons spending has increased by 34%, or $23.2 billion, with US and UK spending rising by 45% and 43%, respectively. Projections suggest that spending will surpass $100 billion in 2024.
Vladimir Putin has frequently highlighted Russia’s nuclear capabilities as a deterrent against Western intervention in Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, with Russia conducting tactical nuclear exercises near Ukraine’s border.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) reported a slight increase in active nuclear warheads, now at 9,585, largely due to China’s arsenal growing to 500 from 410. The US and Russia still hold 90% of the world’s warheads, with Russia having 4,380 and the US 3,708.
Sipri noted Russia’s deployment of about 36 additional warheads since January 2023, though there is no confirmed deployment of Russian nuclear missiles in Belarus despite public claims by Putin and Belarusian President Lukashenko.
The UK’s nuclear arsenal remains at 225 warheads, as does France’s at 290. The UK had previously announced plans to increase its stockpile cap to 260 Trident warheads in response to threats from Russia and China.
Wilfred Wan, director of Sipri’s weapons of mass destruction program, noted the significant role of nuclear weapons in current international relations, a prominence not seen since the Cold War. He contrasted the current situation with a 2022 joint statement by the US, UK, France, China, and Russia, affirming that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
