As of 2024, nine countries possess all of the world’s 12,000 nuclear warheads.
This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, visualizes the world’s nuclear powers based on data from the Federation of American Scientists. The exact number of nuclear weapons each country possesses is a closely guarded national secret, so the estimates presented here come with significant uncertainty.
Nuclear Powers
Despite reductions since the Cold War, the global nuclear arsenal remains significant. The U.S. and Russia together hold around 88% of the world’s nuclear weapons and 84% of the warheads ready for military use. Combined, both countries have over 10,000 warheads. A 2018 study suggests that 100 nuclear weapons would be the “pragmatic limit” for any country’s arsenal.
While the U.S. has been reducing its nuclear arsenal, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea are increasing their warhead stockpiles.
Of the warheads in military stockpiles, approximately 3,904 are deployed with operational forces (on missiles or bomber bases). Among those, about 2,100 U.S., Russian, British, and French warheads are on high alert, ready for use on short notice.
Trump’s Warning to NATO
President Trump has threatened to breach the NATO treaty and send U.S. military support only to allies who contribute what he deems a fair share of their national GDPs to defense spending.
Even without the U.S., France and the UK provide NATO with the third-largest nuclear arsenal, maintaining the alliance’s strategic deterrent capabilities.
Global Nuclear Arsenal Decline
Despite the world’s continued ability to cause mass destruction, nuclear weapon stockpiles have significantly declined over the last few decades. Since the Cold War, global arsenals have decreased from a peak of approximately 70,300 warheads in 1986 to an estimated 12,331 at the beginning of 2025.
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