Last updated: October 27, 2026. Reference guide, reviewed when the underlying official data changes.
Nine countries have nuclear weapons: Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. Together they held an estimated 12,187 warheads in January 2026, about 9,745 of them in military stockpiles, according to the SIPRI Yearbook 2026.
Nuclear warheads by country, January 2026
All figures are SIPRI estimates. Sort by any column.
| Country | Deployed | Military stockpile | Retired | Total inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 1,796 | 4,400 | 1,020 | 5,420 |
| United States | 1,770 | 3,700 | 1,342 | 5,042 |
| China | 34 | 620 | – | 620 |
| France | 280 | 290 | 80 | 370 |
| United Kingdom | 120 | 225 | – | 225 |
| India | 12 | 190 | – | 190 |
| Pakistan | – | 170 | – | 170 |
| Israel | – | 90 | – | 90 |
| North Korea | – | 60 | – | 60 |
| World | 4,012 | 9,745 | 2,442 | 12,187 |
Russia and the United States together hold about 83% of stockpiled, usable warheads. Israel has never confirmed its arsenal, and SIPRI notes there is no conclusive open-source evidence that it has tested a weapon. France’s total rose to 370 mainly because SIPRI added retired warheads it had not previously counted.
What changed in 2025
- More warheads deployed. Deployed warheads rose by about 100, to 4,012, mostly because of a reassessment of Russian deployments and new Chinese and Indian deployments.
- High alert. Between 2,100 and 2,200 deployed warheads were kept on high operational alert on ballistic missiles, nearly all Russian or American.
- Less transparency. New START expired in February 2026 without a replacement, ending the treaty data exchanges on U.S. and Russian strategic forces.
- The global decline may reverse. SIPRI expects dismantlement of old warheads to be outpaced by new deployments in the coming years.
For China’s arsenal in detail, see How many nuclear weapons does China have?
Deployed vs. stockpiled vs. retired
Deployed warheads sit on missiles or at bases with operational forces. The military stockpile adds warheads in storage that would need preparation before use. Retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement, and the total inventory counts all three.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries have nuclear weapons?
Nine: Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.
Which country has the most nuclear weapons?
Russia, with an estimated 5,420 warheads in total inventory in January 2026, ahead of the United States at 5,042, per SIPRI.
How many nuclear weapons are there in the world?
About 12,187 as of January 2026, of which roughly 9,745 were in military stockpiles.
Does Iran have nuclear weapons?
Iran is not among the nine nuclear-armed states in SIPRI’s 2026 count.
Related on Peter’s World
Sources
- SIPRI press release: SIPRI Yearbook 2026 (June 8, 2026)
- SIPRI Yearbook 2026, chapter 8: World nuclear forces
Additional sources
By Peter. This guide was prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above.
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