World Map of Peace
Which countries have nuclear weapons?
Nine states own nuclear weapons according to SIPRI, around 12,187 warheads in total in January 2026. Which countries they are, how the number has developed since 1986 and what treaties and nuclear sharing regulate
Key points at a glance
- According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2026, nine states own nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. All figures are estimates.
- The total inventory stood at around 12,187 warheads in January 2026, of which around 9,745 were in military stockpiles and around 4,012 were deployed. The United States and Russia account for around 83 percent of the military stockpiles.
- The peak came in 1986 with around 70,300 warheads (FAS). The number has fallen sharply since then, but deployed warheads rose by around 100 between January 2025 and January 2026.
- Under NATO nuclear sharing, around 100 to 120 US bombs are stored in five to six European states, including Germany, according to SIPRI. They remain in US custody.
In numbers
12,187
nuclear warheads worldwide
total inventory in January 2026, per SIPRI
9
states with nuclear weapons
per SIPRI, as of January 2026
83%
of the military stockpiles
held by the United States and Russia
- Russia5,420
- United States5,042
- China620
- France370
- United Kingdom225
- India190
- Pakistan170
- Israel90
- North Korea60
January 2025
- Total inventory
- 12,241
- Military stockpile
- 9,614
- Deployed
- 3,912
January 2026
- Total inventory
- 12,187
- Military stockpile
- 9,745
- Deployed
- 4,012
- Peak in 1986 (FAS)around 70,300
- January 2025 (SIPRI)12,241
- January 2026 (SIPRI)12,187
- Data basis
- SIPRI Yearbook 2026, chapter 8 “World nuclear forces”, table 8A.1
- Publisher
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Solna
- As of
- January 2026, all figures are estimates
- Reading guide
- Deployed: on missiles or at bases with operational forces. Military stockpile: deployed plus stored
- Author
- Johannes Max Harms
Which countries have nuclear weapons?
According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2026, nine states own nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. In everyday language they are also called nuclear powers. The table below gives, for each state, the year of its first test and the estimated number of warheads in January 2026.
The inventories differ greatly. Russia (5,420) and the United States (5,042) together hold 10,462 warheads in their total inventories, the other seven states together 1,725. The United States and Russia account for around 83 percent of the military stockpiles, a share that SIPRI says is falling slightly.
SIPRI points out that all figures are estimates. States generally do not publish their inventories, or only in part. That is why the table gives the partial figures deployed, stored and military stockpile alongside the total inventory. What states spend on their militaries overall is shown on the page World military expenditure.
How many nuclear weapons are there in the world?
SIPRI estimates the total inventory in January 2026 at 12,187 warheads. Of these, 9,745 belong to the military stockpile, meaning warheads that are deployed or could be used after preparation. A further 2,442 are retired and await dismantling.
Around 4,012 warheads are considered deployed, that is, placed on missiles or at bases with operational forces. According to SIPRI, between 2,100 and 2,200 of them are on high alert.
Compared with the previous year the picture is mixed: the total inventory fell from 12,241 to 12,187, the military stockpile rose by around 130 and the number of deployed warheads by around 100. SIPRI notes that the dismantling of retired warheads is slowing and could soon be outpaced by new warheads.
How has the number of warheads developed since 1986?
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) puts the peak of global inventories at around 70,300 warheads in 1986. According to FAS, most of the decline took place in the 1990s. By January 2026 the number had fallen to 12,187 according to SIPRI, a drop of more than 58,000.
SIPRI states in its yearbook that the number of nuclear warheads in the world continues to decline, but only because Russia and the United States dismantle retired warheads. Military stockpiles, by contrast, are increasing again according to FAS. FAS assumes growth in China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and possibly Russia.
In 1960, people in northern Germany marched over Easter against nuclear weapons for the first time, more on the page Easter march. Those who reject violence on principle speak of pacifism. How peace can be measured is described by the Global Peace Index.
What does nuclear sharing mean?
Nuclear sharing refers to the arrangement under which the United States stores nuclear bombs in other NATO states. According to SIPRI these are around 100 to 120 non-strategic bombs at six to seven airbases in five to six states: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Türkiye and possibly the United Kingdom. The bombs remain in US custody.
The Federal Foreign Office describes the German government’s position on its page of 1 December 2023 as follows: the F-35 are to be used “within the framework of NATO nuclear sharing”. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is “in tension with obligations” of the NATO partners under nuclear sharing, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty remains the “central framework” for nuclear disarmament (quotations translated from the German).
SIPRI describes a second arrangement of this kind for Russia and Belarus. President Lukashenko claimed in December 2024 that dozens of Russian nuclear weapons had been moved to Belarus. According to SIPRI there was no conclusive publicly available visual evidence in January 2026 that warheads and personnel are stationed there. In December 2025 the Russian Ministry of Defence showed the Oreshnik missile in Belarus.
Which treaties limit nuclear weapons?
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was opened for signature in 1968 and entered into force in 1970. According to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), 191 states have joined it, including the five nuclear-weapon states within the meaning of the treaty. The current accession status is documented by the UN treaty database.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was adopted on 7 July 2017 with 122 votes in favour, one against and one abstention. It entered into force on 22 January 2021, after the 50th instrument of ratification was deposited on 24 October 2020. According to the UN treaty database, on 23 October 2026 it had 96 signatories and 75 parties. Germany has not joined the treaty.
The New START agreement between the United States and Russia expired without a successor in February 2026, according to SIPRI, and the related data exchange has ended. Which obligations the treaties create for individual states is clarified authoritatively by the competent body, in Germany the Federal Foreign Office.
What does the clock of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists show?
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists sets the so-called Doomsday Clock. On 27 January 2026 it moved the clock to 85 seconds to midnight, from 89 seconds before. According to the Bulletin, this is the closest the clock has ever been to midnight.
The Bulletin names several risks as reasons, including nuclear weapons, climate, biological risks and artificial intelligence. The clock reflects the Bulletin’s assessment as of January 2026; later changes are not covered here.
This page cites figures from SIPRI, FAS, UNODA, the UN treaty database and the Federal Foreign Office and will be updated with the next edition of the SIPRI Yearbook.
SIPRI Yearbook 2026, chapter 8
Overall, the number of nuclear warheads in the world continues to decline, but this is only due to Russia and the USA dismantling retired warheads.
Sources
- SIPRI Yearbook 2026: World nuclear forces, chapter 8 (PDF)
- SIPRI: press release on the Yearbook 2026
- Federation of American Scientists: Status of World Nuclear Forces
- UNODA: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
- UNODA: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- UN Treaty Collection: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- Federal Foreign Office: disarmament and arms control (in German)
- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Doomsday Clock
The nine states with nuclear weapons in January 2026
| State | First test | Deployed | Stored | Military stockpile | Total inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1945 | 1,770 | 1,930 | 3,700 | 5,042 |
| Russia | 1949 | 1,796 | 2,604 | 4,400 | 5,420 |
| United Kingdom | 1952 | 120 | 105 | 225 | 225 |
| France | 1960 | 280 | 10 | 290 | 370 |
| China | 1964 | 34 | 586 | 620 | 620 |
| India | 1974 | 12 | 178 | 190 | 190 |
| Pakistan | 1998 | none | 170 | 170 | 170 |
| North Korea | 2006 | none | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Israel | not stated | none | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Total | 4,012 | 5,733 | 9,745 | 12,187 |
Source: SIPRI Yearbook 2026, chapter 8, table 8A.1, as of January 2026. All figures are estimates. The total inventory also includes retired warheads that have not yet been dismantled. For China and India, SIPRI describes the number of deployed warheads as subject to considerable uncertainty.
More in this series
- World military expenditureSIPRI Military Expenditure Database 2026The countries of the world spent 2,887 billion US dollars on their militaries in 2025, according to SIPRI, more than ever before in its database. Who spends how much, how the total has developed since 2008 and how it compares with spending on peace
- Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace Index 2026, methodology sectionEvery year the Global Peace Index ranks 163 states by how peaceful they are. If you want to read the ranking, it helps to know how it is calculated
More questions about nuclear weapons
Does Israel have nuclear weapons?
SIPRI lists Israel in its overview of nuclear-armed states with an estimated 90 warheads, all stored and none deployed. SIPRI gives no year of a first test for Israel.
As with all states in the table, this is the institute’s estimate. This page follows the SIPRI overview and does not assess the conduct of individual states.
Does Iran have nuclear weapons?
Iran does not appear in the SIPRI table of the nine states with nuclear weapons (as of January 2026). SIPRI estimates an inventory of warheads only for these nine states.
Where the data is uncertain, SIPRI says so explicitly. For China and India, the institute speaks of considerable uncertainty about deployed warheads. For North Korea’s fissile material, it says the amount could suffice for at least 90 warheads, but probably fewer are assembled, about 60.
Does Germany have nuclear weapons?
Germany is not among the nine states with their own nuclear weapons. According to SIPRI, however, US bombs are stored at airbases in Germany and in four other NATO states, possibly also in the United Kingdom. They remain in US custody. This is the core of nuclear sharing.
On its page of 1 December 2023, the Federal Foreign Office writes that the F-35 are to be used “within the framework of NATO nuclear sharing” (original German: “im Rahmen der nuklearen Teilhabe der NATO”), and: “That is why NATO’s nuclear deterrence must remain credible.” (translated). More recent statements are not covered in this overview.
Does North Korea have nuclear weapons?
SIPRI estimates North Korea’s inventory in January 2026 at around 60 warheads, all stored. SIPRI gives 2006 as the year of the first test. By the FAS count there have been six tests so far.
According to SIPRI, the country’s fissile material could suffice for at least 90 warheads. Probably fewer are assembled, hence the estimate of around 60. Like all values in the table, it is an estimate.
How many nuclear weapons does Russia have?
For Russia, SIPRI estimates a military stockpile of 4,400 warheads in January 2026, of which 1,796 are deployed and 2,604 stored. In addition there are 1,020 retired warheads that have not yet been dismantled. The total inventory is therefore 5,420, the highest value in the table.
On Belarus, SIPRI reports that President Lukashenko claimed in December 2024 that dozens of Russian nuclear weapons had been moved there. A depot near Asipovichy is considered the most likely location and was greatly expanded by the end of 2025. According to SIPRI there was no conclusive publicly available visual evidence in January 2026 that warheads and personnel are stationed there.
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