NAIROBI, Kenya – In 2023, global spending on nuclear weapons reached an unprecedented $91.4 billion, marking a 13pc increase from the previous year, according to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
This surge, amounting to an additional $10.7 billion, is primarily driven by heightened defense budgets in the United States amidst geopolitical instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The report highlights that all nine nuclear-armed nations have ramped up their expenditures.
The United States remains the largest spender, with a budget of $51.5 billion, nearly half of the global total. China follows with $11.9 billion, and Russia comes in third with $8.3 billion.
The United Kingdom and France also feature prominently, spending $8.1 billion and $6.1 billion, respectively.
However, the spending of authoritarian states and nations with undeclared nuclear programs, such as India, Pakistan, and Israel, remains difficult to estimate due to a lack of transparency.
Susy Snyder, one of the authors of the ICAN report, warned that nuclear states are on a trajectory to spend $100 billion annually on nuclear weapons.
“These billions could have been used for combating climate change and saving animals and plants that sustain life on Earth from extinction, not to mention improving health and education services around the world,” Snyder stated.
Over the past five years, nuclear weapons spending has soared by 34p.c, equivalent to $23.2 billion. The United States’ expenditure increased by 45p.c, while the UK’s rose by 43p.c. If current trends continue, global nuclear weapons spending will surpass $100 billion in 2024.
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also reveals an increase in the number of active nuclear warheads, now totaling 9,585.
This rise is largely attributed to China, which has expanded its arsenal from 410 to 500 warheads.
The United States and Russia continue to dominate, possessing about 90% of all nuclear warheads, with Russia holding 4,380 and the US 3,708.
The increased spending and expansion of nuclear arsenals come amid escalating global tensions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has frequently referenced his country’s nuclear capabilities as a deterrent against Western intervention in Ukraine.
Russia has also conducted exercises simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons near the Ukrainian border.
The SIPRI report notes that despite public declarations from Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, there is no firm evidence of Russia deploying nuclear missiles in Belarus.
Furthermore, the UK and France’s nuclear arsenals remain unchanged at 225 and 290 warheads, respectively.
However, three years ago, the UK announced it would raise its cap on stockpiled warheads to 260 to counter threats from Russia and China.
Wilfred Wan, Director of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, observed, “We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War.”
This prominence stands in stark contrast to a 2022 joint statement by the US, UK, France, China, and Russia, which asserted that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
