US leads record rise in spending on nuclear arsenals, campaign group says

Geneva, Switzerland
Reuters

Spending on nuclear weapons by the world’s nine nuclear-armed states rose by almost a fifth in 2025 to $US119 billion, a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said on Tuesday.

Nuclear officials stand near the entrance to a reactor at the Browns Ferry nuclear facility in Alabama, in this photo taken on 25th March, 2011. PICTURE: Reuters/Matthew Bigg

The 19 per cent increase from 2024 produced the highest expenditure on nuclear weapons since the campaign group began tracking the annual nuclear arms expenditure of the US, Russia, China, France, Britain, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel in 2020.

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The US spent $US69.2 billion, more than all other nuclear states combined, and saw largest increase, at 22 per cent.

US is increasing military spending in general as well as rebuilding nuclear arsenal, ICAN says.

China came second, increasing by seven per cent to $US13.5 billion.

Britain overtook Russia to become third-biggest spender, up 17 per cent to $US12.6 billion. Russia spent $US9.5 billion, increase of six per cent.

2017 Nobel Peace laureate ICAN seeks total elimination of nuclear weapons.