Nuclear-armed states strengthen deterrence strategies amid global tensions
All nine nuclear-armed states continued programs to modernize and expand their nuclear arsenals in 2025, with nuclear weapons increasingly being used as instruments of national power, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The institute said that as of January 2026, the world possessed an estimated 12,187 nuclear warheads, of which around 9,745 were held in military stockpiles for potential use. Approximately 4,012 warheads were deployed on missiles and aircraft, while between 2,100 and 2,200 were maintained in a high state of operational readiness, News.az reports.
SIPRI researchers noted that nearly all of these ready-to-use warheads belonged to Russia and the United States, with smaller numbers held by France and the United Kingdom. However, China and India are now increasingly capable of deploying a limited number of nuclear-armed missiles during peacetime.
The report's authors said that since the end of the Cold War, the gradual dismantling of nuclear warheads by Russia and the United States had generally outpaced the deployment of new systems, contributing to an overall decline in global nuclear stockpiles.
“This trend is likely to change in the coming years as the pace of dismantlement slows and the deployment of new nuclear weapons accelerates,” the report said. “Nuclear-armed states are increasingly sidelining, and in some cases abandoning, disarmament commitments, while there is growing evidence of efforts to demonstrate and strengthen nuclear capabilities.”
According to SIPRI, Russia and the United States together possess about 83 percent of the world's operational nuclear warheads. China, which now has an estimated 620 nuclear warheads, has expanded its arsenal faster than any other country and showcased several new nuclear systems during a military parade in 2025.
The report also suggested that the United Kingdom and France are expected to increase their nuclear stockpiles in the coming years.
Meanwhile, India and Pakistan slightly expanded their nuclear arsenals in 2025 and continued developing new delivery systems for nuclear weapons.
SIPRI estimates that North Korea possesses around 60 nuclear warheads and has enough fissile material to produce at least 30 more. Israel, which has never officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, is also believed to be modernizing its nuclear arsenal, the report added.
By Faig Mahmudov
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