2026-04-01 · estimated warheads
Russia holds the largest nuclear arsenal
Deployed and stored warheads still number in thousands.
Nine countries hold an estimated 12,000 nuclear warheads in 2026 — weapons that can kill millions directly and, through their impact on agriculture, likely billions. Russia commands the largest arsenal at 45% of the global total; the United States is the only other power with thousands. The rest — China, France, the UK, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea — hold dozens to a few hundred each.
1 cell = 12 estimated warheads (0.1% of global nuclear arsenal) · 1,000 cells
Context
Warheads differ in how quickly they can be used: a substantial share sits deployed on ballistic missiles or at bomber bases, ready at short notice, while others are stored, retired, or queued for dismantlement. And counting warheads alone understates the danger — first-strike weapons still hold the potential to directly destroy almost 7% of the world's urban land.
Global stockpiles peaked above 60,000 warheads in 1986 and fell below 20,000 in the 2010s, but the decline has since slowed, and some countries are expanding their arsenals. South Africa is the only country to have entirely dismantled its arsenal, while Iran is the only state to have recently pursued weapons.
After killing 110,000–210,000 people at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, nuclear weapons have come close to being used again more than a dozen times. Most countries have approved the test-ban and non-proliferation treaties, and dozens have approved the treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons altogether.
Estimated warhead inventories (FAS/SIPRI via OWID).
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