Global spending on nuclear weapons jumped by 13.4% in 2023, reaching approximately $91.4 billion, according to an Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) report. Noting a $23.2 billion increase in nuclear weapons spending over the last five years, ICAN report highlights that the US had the largest proportional increase annually, seeing a rise of almost 18%. It is closely followed by the United Kingdom. (AP Photo)
In 2023, nine nuclear-armed states (US, UK, Russia, China, France, Israel, North Korea, India and Pakistan) spent a whopping $10.8 billion (13.4%) more on their nuclear arsenal compared ro 2022. Let’s take a look at the top nine nations that spent the most on nuclear warheads in 2023.(Image: AP Photo)
No 1. United States | In 2022, the US Congress allocated $17.1 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to spend on its weapons activities. The Department of Defense had in 2023 requested $34.4 billion for “Nuclear Enterprise Modernization,” including for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent and Long Range Standoff programs and others. By adding the two figures, a total of $51.5 billion was spent on nuclear weapons in the US in 2023 — roughly 6% of total US military spending last year. The country has a total of 5,044 nuclear weapons which can be launched from land-based missiles, submarines, and aeroplanes, the report said. (Image: Reuters)
No 2. Russia | The ICAN report has estimated Russia’s nuclear weapons spending in 2023 at roughly 710.5 billion roubles or $8.3 billion — about 8% of Russian military spending last year. The country has increased its nuclear weapons spending by $477 million (40.8 billion roubles) in 2023, the report suggests, adding that it has 5,580 nuclear weapons which can be launched from land-based missiles, submarines, and aeroplanes. (AP Photo)
No 3. China | While there is no official information about China’s nuclear spending, the ICAN report used a percentage of total military spending to calculate the country’s nuclear expenditure. It estimates that China spent 4% of its total military spending on nuclear weapons, based on similar estimates in earlier reports. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated that China, in 2023, spent $296 billion on military expenditures. Hence, 4% of this amount is about $11.9 billion. The country, which has 500 nuclear weapons, has increased its nuclear weapons spending by $744 million, the report stated. (Image: Reuters)
No 4. United Kingdom | The UK is said to have spent roughly $8.1 billion on nuclear weapons in 2022/23. This amounts to around 12% of its total military spending. The country increased its nuclear weapons spending by $1.2 billion last year. The United Kingdom, which has 225 nuclear weapons, cooperates closely with the US to produce its Trident II D-5 nuclear-capable missiles as well as the submarines which are armed with them. (Image: Reuters)
No 5. France | France is expected to spend a total of €37 billion on its nuclear weapons programme from 2019-2025, according to a military programming law that was approved in 2018. In April last year, a new Military Programming Law for the 2024-2030 period was introduced, including 13%, or €53.69 billion, for nuclear weapons. The country reportedly spent roughly 10% of its total military budget on nuclear weapons last year, increasing its nuclear weapons spending by $325 million (€300 million).(Image: Reuters)
No 6. Israel | In 2023, Israeli military spending witnessed a major jump of 24%, “mainly driven by Israel’s large-scale offensive in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel by Hamas in October 2023,” according to SIPRI, which estimated that the country spent 101.4 billion shekels on its military in 2023. The country is believed to have spent around $1.1 billion on nuclear weapons in 2023. It increased its nuclear weapons spending by $25 million last year. (Image: Reuters)
No 7. North Korea | Officially, there is very little information about North Korea’s nuclear spending as well as its overall military spending. Comparing the available data, the country is expected to have to spend 770.7 billion North Korean won or $856 million on nuclear weapons last year, increasing its spending by $39 million. (Image: Reuters)
No 8. Pakistan | Pakistan spends about 10% of its total military spending on its nuclear arsenal, analysts in the past decade have estimated. The 10% of the cash-strapped nation’s 2023 military spending (PKR 2.567 trillion) is PKR 256.7 billion, which converted into USD is $1 billion — the estimate for its nuclear spending in 2023. The country increased its nuclear weapons spending by $177 million last year. (Image: Reuters)
No 9. India | The ICAN report claimed that India’s nuclear spending was ₹21,946.6 crore ($2.7 billion) in 2023. However, no official data has been provided regarding the same. The estimated amount is roughly 3% of the total military spending of India in 2023. “India increased its nuclear weapons spending by $66 million (5.4 billion Indian rupees) in 2023,” it added.
