SIPRI report warns of accelerating global nuclear arms buildup

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its 2026 annual report showing that the nine nuclear‑weapon states – the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel – together possess about 12 187 nuclear warheads, of which roughly 9 745 are in military stockpiles ready for use. The United States and Russia alone hold around 83 % of all warheads, with both countries modernising and expanding their arsenals while the pace of dismantling older weapons slows.

China is expanding its arsenal faster than any other state, rising to an estimated 620 warheads in 2026 and projected to reach about 1 000 by the end of the decade. Other powers are also upgrading their forces, increasing the number of warheads deployed on missiles and aircraft. The New START treaty between the US and Russia expired in February 2026 without a successor, reducing transparency and heightening the risk of miscalculation. SIPRI researchers warn that the renewed modernization, combined with the erosion of arms‑control agreements, could trigger a new nuclear competition and elevate the chance of nuclear escalation worldwide.