UK overtakes Russia in nuclear race after massive spending surge
Photo: B61-12 bomb, which can be equipped with a nuclear warhead (Airman 1st Class Devan Halstead/Air Force)
The world's nuclear states sharply increased funding for their arsenals in 2025. The expenditures of nine countries rose by nearly a fifth and reached a record $119 billion, reports Reuters.
According to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the US remains the absolute leader in this race. Washington allocated $69.2 billion to nuclear weapons. This amount exceeds the combined spending of all other nuclear states in the world.
Over the year, U.S. nuclear investments jumped by 22%, the largest increase among all members of the nuclear club. The White House is not only increasing the overall military budget but is also actively modernizing its strategic arsenal.
How Britain overtook Russia
The United Kingdom unexpectedly changed the balance of power in the global ranking. London increased funding for its nuclear program by 17%, bringing the country's nuclear budget to $12.6 billion.
This leap allowed Britain to overtake Russia. Moscow allocated $9.5 billion to its nuclear forces, only 6% more than the previous year. The Kremlin has officially dropped to fourth place in terms of nuclear investment.
Who is entering the active nuclear game
China firmly holds second place in the global ranking. Beijing spent $13.5 billion on nuclear purposes. Its budget grew by 7% over the twelve months.
The list of countries actively funding nuclear programs includes (by level of expenditure):
- US;
- China;
- UK;
- Russia;
- France;
- India;
- Pakistan;
- North Korea;
- Israel (unofficially).
The overall 19% increase in spending is the sharpest since 2020, the report notes — the year when annual tracking of such expenditures began worldwide.
What else is known about the increase in nuclear weapons
We have already published a SIPRI report stating that there are currently 12,187 nuclear warheads in the world. Of these, 9,745 are in military stockpiles — that is, ready for use. Russia and the United States together possess about 83% of the world's nuclear potential.
In addition, it became known that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a new nuclear materials production plant and ordered that the country's nuclear potential be increased at an exponential rate.
NATO intelligence has tracked actions by Russia's Northern Fleet that may indicate Moscow is attempting to place nuclear missiles on the seabed.
