More than 12 thousand nuclear warheads in the world. Two countries control 86% of them

Despite international efforts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons since the end of the Cold War, the world still possesses a huge arsenal of nuclear warheads, amid the slowdown in the pace of disarmament and the escalation of efforts to modernize the nuclear arsenals of a number of countries. According to the latest estimates published by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) for the year 2026, 9 countries possess about 12,187 nuclear warheads, of which Russia and the United States combined account for about 86%.

It is estimated that about 9,745 nuclear warheads are classified as military stockpiles designated for use, including 3,912 warheads deployed with operational forces, while about 2,100 nuclear warheads are on high alert, allowing them to be used within a short period. Russia tops the list of countries possessing nuclear weapons with about 5,420 nuclear warheads, followed by the United States with 5,042 warheads, then China with 620 warheads, and France with 370 warheads.

Next comes the United Kingdom with 225 warheads, India with 190, Pakistan with 170, Israel with 90, and North Korea with 60 nuclear warheads. Although the total number of nuclear weapons globally has declined compared to the height of the Cold War, the pace of this decline has slowed significantly in recent decades.

The bulk of the current reductions are due to the dismantling of American and Russian nuclear warheads that were previously taken out of service, at a time when several countries, most notably China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, are moving to increase their nuclear stockpiles. The report confirms that the exact numbers of nuclear warheads are still shrouded in secrecy, which makes these data estimates based on available information, historical records, and specialized analyses.