The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said the nine nuclear-armed states spent $118.8 billion on nuclear arms in 2025, with the United States accounting for $69.2 billion.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States spent more on nuclear weapons in 2025 than the world’s other nuclear-armed countries combined, according to a new report from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
ICAN said the United States spent $69.2 billion on nuclear arms last year, while China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States together spent $118.8 billion. The total marked a 19% increase from 2024.
The report, published June 9, found that U.S. nuclear weapons spending rose 22% from 2024 to 2025, an increase of $12.4 billion. That was the largest dollar increase and the highest percentage increase among the nine nuclear-armed states.
China ranked second, spending $13.5 billion on nuclear weapons in 2025, up 7% from the previous year. The United Kingdom moved ahead of Russia into third place, spending $12.6 billion, a 17% increase. Russia spent $9.5 billion, up 6%.
“Across the board, nuclear-armed states are making plans to retain their arsenals for decades to come,” the report said.
ICAN said those plans are reflected in long-term spending projections and weapons systems expected to remain in service for decades.
“Several nuclear-armed states have published nuclear weapons spending projections of tens of billions or even past $1 trillion for the next decade or several decades. And all nuclear-armed states have weapons systems that will remain operational at least until 2050, if not until the next century,” the report said.
The organization also said 99 countries in 2025 have signed, ratified or acceded to the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which seeks to ban all nuclear weapons activities.
The nuclear spending report was released after a separate assessment from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that overall global military spending increased in 2025.
SIPRI reported earlier this year that worldwide military expenditure rose 2.9% to $2.89 trillion in 2025, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth. The increase came despite a 7.5% decline in U.S. military spending for the year.
The United States remained the world’s largest military spender in 2025, with $954 billion in total military expenditures. The three biggest spenders — the United States, China and Russia — together accounted for $1.48 trillion, or 51% of the global total.
Nan Tian, director of SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, said in the April 27 report that the decline in U.S. military spending was unlikely to last.
“Spending approved by the US Congress for 2026 has risen to over $1 trillion, a substantial increase from 2025, and could rise further to $1.5 trillion in 2027 if President [Donald] Trump’s latest budget proposal is accepted,” Tian said.
China remained the second-largest military spender globally, increasing its budget 7.4% to $336 billion. SIPRI said that marked China’s 31st consecutive year of military spending growth.
Russia ranked third, with estimated military spending of $190 billion in 2025, up 5.9% from the previous year.
A separate SIPRI report released in March found that Europe had become the world’s largest arms-importing region over the previous five years as governments expanded military purchases in response to the perceived threat from Russia.
SIPRI data showed Europe accounted for 33% of global arms imports. The region’s arms imports rose 210% between the 2016-2020 period and the 2021-2025 period.
The institute said Europe held the largest share of global arms imports “for the first time since the 1960s.” Asia and Oceania had previously held the top regional position during the 2016-2020 period.
SIPRI said the shift was driven “overwhelmingly” by increased arms transfers to Ukraine and other European countries. Ukraine accounted for 9.7% of all global arms transfers.
Mathew George, director of SIPRI’s Arms Transfer Program, said the increase in arms deliveries to Europe pushed global arms transfer figures higher.
“Deliveries to Ukraine since 2022 are the most obvious factor, but most other European states have also started importing significantly more arms to shore up their military capabilities against a perceived growing threat from Russia,” George said.
Together, the reports show rising spending across nuclear weapons programs, broader military budgets and arms imports, with the United States continuing to lead both nuclear weapons expenditures and total military spending.
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