Roughly 100 additional warheads were deployed and operational in 2026
Most of the world’s nuclear-armed states continued to modernise their arsenals in 2025, with the number of operationally deployed warheads rising, according to the latest yearbook from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The nine nuclear powers — the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel — possessed an estimated 12,187 nuclear warheads in January 2026, of which 9,745 were available for potential military use. Around 4,012 warheads were deployed on missiles and aircraft, while more than half remained on high alert aboard ballistic missiles.
Although the total inventory fell marginally compared with a year earlier, roughly 100 additional warheads were deployed and operational in 2026, highlighting what SIPRI describes as a growing reliance on nuclear deterrence.
“Making national defence and security strategies dependent—or more dependent—on nuclear weapons could significantly increase nuclear risks,” SIPRI Director Karim Haggag warned.
