Nuclear weapons spending surges to record high of $119bn, report says
ICAN says global nuclear weapons spending hit a record $119bn in 2025, with the US accounting for $69.2bn.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
A new ICAN report says the nine nuclear-armed states sharply increased spending on their arsenals last year, pushing global nuclear weapons spending to a record $119bn. The report lands as disarmament commitments weaken and long-running arms limits lapse.
A group that tracks nuclear weapons says countries spent a record amount of money on them last year, like buying more and better locks for the biggest, most dangerous box in the world. The scary part is that the money keeps growing while real disarmament is still stuck.
Analysis
What the report says
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons says global spending on nuclear weapons reached an all-time high of $119bn in 2025. That was up by $16.8bn from the previous year, according to the report quoted by Al Jazeera.
The United States remained by far the largest spender at an estimated $69.2bn, more than all the other nuclear powers combined. China was next at $13.5bn, followed by the United Kingdom at $12.6bn, Russia at $9.5bn and France at $7.7bn. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea also spent on their arsenals, with the article citing figures ranging from $656m for North Korea to $2.8bn for India.
Why the report lands now
ICAN says the nine nuclear-armed states spent a combined $471bn over the past five years and are still planning to keep their arsenals for decades. The group argues that this level of spending is happening while countries are cutting back on other global priorities.
The article also notes that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute recently warned that nuclear states are stepping back from disarmament commitments and instead modernising their arsenals. That warning is reinforced by the article's reminder that the last major US-Russia arms control agreement, New START, expired in February without a replacement.
The bigger picture
The article places the spending surge against the wider nuclear arms framework. The United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017, and 99 countries have signed, ratified or acceded to it. But no nuclear-armed state has joined the treaty, and the global stockpile is still estimated at more than 12,000 warheads, mostly held by the US and Russia.
Key points
- ICAN says global spending on nuclear weapons hit a record $119bn in 2025.
- The US spent an estimated $69.2bn, more than all other nuclear powers combined.
- ICAN says the nine nuclear-armed states spent $471bn over the past five years.
- The article says disarmament commitments are weakening while modernization continues.
- New START expired in February without a replacement agreement.
The report could add pressure on nuclear-armed states to explain their spending and face more public scrutiny. It may also strengthen support for disarmament talks and for the countries backing the UN ban treaty.
The spending surge may signal that nuclear powers are choosing modernization over cuts, making future disarmament harder. With New START expired and no nuclear-armed state signed onto the ban treaty, the buildup could continue for years.
