Global nuclear weapons spending reaches record high: report

According to a report released by nonproliferation advocates, global spending on nuclear weapons skyrocketed to an all-time high of $119 billion, representing a significant 19 percent surge from the previous year.

The report on Tuesday further noted that the world’s nine nuclear-armed countries spent an additional $16.8bn on their arsenals in 2025.

“This exorbitant spending comes at a time when countries are significantly scaling back their investments in the global commons,” ICAN said in a summary accompanying the report.

“Whether reneging from climate change adaptation agreements or failing to pay their fair share to prevent the scourge of war through multilateral diplomacy, this overwhelming spending on nuclear weapons shows a willingness to research, develop, finance and build tools to exterminate humanity instead of save it.”

ICAN said that the United States spent an estimated $69.2bn, a rise of $12.6bn which was more than all other nuclear powers combined.

Notably, China was at the second-biggest spender with an estimated $13.5bn, Russia with $9.5bn and France with $7.7bn. Meanwhile, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea spent smaller sums ranging from $65m to $2.8bn.

ICAN noted that cumulative nuclear-armed spending reached a combined $471 bn over the past five years, with governments planning to preserve their weapons for more decades.

This report comes just a day after the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute cautioned that nuclear states have sidetracked nuclear disarmament priorities in favor of expanding and revamping their arsenals.

It is pertinent to mention that ninety-nine countries have agreed to the Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons which bars the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction.

The US and Russia have signed a succession of accords to restrict the size of their arsenals that began in the early 1990s, but the final pact expired in February without two sides reaching a superseding agreement.