- Russia and the U.S. have the world’s largest nuclear warhead inventories by a large margin.
- China has grown its stockpile by 100 warheads since 2024, representing 20% growth.
- India is the only other country to have increased its arsenal, adding 8 to its total.
As global tensions simmer, nuclear arsenals remain a critical measure of strategic influence. Their distribution tells a story of power, deterrence, and geopolitical priorities.
In this visualization, we rank the world’s nuclear powers by their warhead stockpiles as of January 2025. Note that these figures only include deployed warheads and warheads in central storage.
Data & Discussion
The data for this visualization comes from SIPRI, accessed via Statista. It ranks the countries with the most nuclear warheads in 2025, and compares those estimates to those from 2024.
| Country | Warheads (as of Jan 2025) |
Change Since 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 4,309 | -71 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 3,700 | -8 |
| 🇨🇳 China | 600 | +100 |
| 🇫🇷 France | 290 | 0 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 225 | 0 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 180 | +8 |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 170 | 0 |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | 90 | 0 |
| 🇰🇵 North Korea | 50 | 0 |
Russia and the U.S. Still Dominate
Despite recent reductions, Russia and the United States together account for over 80% of global nuclear warheads. Russia leads with 4,309 warheads, while the U.S. follows with 3,700.
This dominance is a Cold War legacy, reflecting decades of nuclear buildup and strategic deterrence planning. America’s nuclear arsenal peaked at 31,255 warheads in 1967, while the Soviet Union is estimated to have reached 40,000 warheads in 1986.
China’s Recent Buildup
China’s stockpile increased by 100 warheads in just one year, growing from 500 to 600—representing a 20% jump. While still far behind the U.S. and Russia, this sharp rise signals a strategic shift. China’s nuclear doctrine, once restrained, now appears to be evolving in response to regional and global dynamics.
This trend is raising concerns among defense analysts about future arms races in the Indo-Pacific region.
Other Nuclear Powers Stay Steady
France, the UK, and Israel saw no change in their arsenals from 2024, though France has recently launched a program to produce a new generation of warheads.
India added eight warheads, bringing its total to 180, while Pakistan held steady at 170. North Korea, whose arsenal is highly secretive, remains estimated at 50 warheads.
Credit: Visual Capitalist
