Ranked: Countries With The Most Nuclear Weapons, 2024

As of early 2024, nine countries possess nuclear weapons, some legally and some not so legally, with an estimated 12,121 warheads among them. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) officially recognizes five nations as nuclear-armed states: the United Kingdom, China, France, the United States, and Russia. Notably, Russia has the most nuclear weapons, followed by the United States.

The official number of nuclear weapons is usually kept secret. However, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia has about 5,580 nuclear warheads as of 2024. This makes Russia the country with the most nuclear weapons. The United States closely follows with an estimated 5,044 warheads. Other nuclear-armed states don’t see the need for more than a few hundred nuclear weapons for national security. For instance, China, which ranks third, is estimated to have about 500 nuclear warheads. France follows with an estimated 290 warheads, and the United Kingdom is estimated to have 225. Israel does not publicly acknowledge it has nuclear weapons.

Countries With The Most Nuclear Weapons, 2024

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