Global nuclear weapons spending reaches $119 billion in 2025

Global spending on nuclear weapons surged to a record high of nearly $119 billion in 2025, a 19 percent increase from the previous year, according to a new report. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) found that the world's nine nuclear-armed states collectively spent an additional $16.8 billion on their arsenals last year, with all nine increasing their investments.

The United States accounted for the majority of the spending, allocating an estimated $69.2 billion, which is more than all other nuclear powers combined and represents a $12.4 billion increase from 2024. China was the second-largest spender at $13.5 billion, followed by the United Kingdom at $12.6 billion and Russia at $9.5 billion. India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea spent smaller sums ranging from $656 million to $2.8 billion.

The report, released on Tuesday, warns that a new nuclear arms race is underway, driven by geopolitical tensions and long-term modernization plans. ICAN's program director and co-author, Susi Snyder, described the scale-up as deeply alarming, particularly when coupled with concerns that artificial intelligence could increase the risk of nuclear weapons use. "To...