Key facts
- Global spending on nuclear weapons by nine nuclear-armed states rose 19% to $119 billion in 2025.
- This marks the highest expenditure on nuclear weapons since tracking began in 2020.
- The United States spent $69.2 billion, more than all other nuclear states combined, and saw a 22% increase in spending.
- China was the second-largest spender, increasing its expenditure by 7% to $13.5 billion.
- The United Kingdom overtook Russia as the third-largest spender, with a 17% increase to $12.6 billion, while Russia spent $9.5 billion.
Global expenditure on nuclear weapons by the world's nine nuclear-armed states surged by 19% in 2025 to reach $119 billion, according to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). This represents the highest level of spending since ICAN began tracking these figures in 2020.
The United States was the largest contributor to this increase, spending $69.2 billion, which is more than the combined spending of all other nuclear states. The U.S. also saw the largest percentage increase in spending at 22%, attributed to general military spending hikes and efforts to rebuild its nuclear arsenal.
China followed as the second-highest spender, with an increase of 7% to $13.5 billion. The United Kingdom moved into third place, increasing its spending by 17% to $12.6 billion, surpassing Russia, which spent $9.5 billion, a 6% increase.
ICAN, a Nobel Peace laureate in 2017, advocates for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.