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Status of World Nuclear
Forces
More than a decade and a half after the Cold War ended, the
world's combined stockpile of nuclear warheads remain at a very
high level: more than 20,000. Of these, more than 10,000
warheads are considered operational, of which a couple of
thousand U.S. and Russian warheads are on high alert, ready for
use on short notice.
If adding retired warheads earmarked for dismantlement, the
total inventory of intact nuclear weapons is approximately
25,500 warheads.
Country Profiles
Detailed World Summary
Russia
United States
France
China
United Kingdom
Israel
Pakistan
India
North Korea
The exact number of nuclear weapons in each country's
possession is a closely held national secret. Despite this
limitation, however, publicly available information and
occasional leaks make it possible to make best estimates about
the size and composition of the national nuclear weapon stockpiles:
Status of World Nuclear Forces 2008*
Country
Strategic
Non-Strategic
Operational
Stockpile
3,083
2,079
5,162
14,000a
3,575
500b
4,075
5,400c
300
n.a.
~300
300d
180
?
~193
240e
160
n.a.
<160
185f
80
n.a.
n.a.
80g
60
n.a.
n.a.
60g
50
n.a.
n.a.
50g
<10
n.a.
n.a.
<10h
7,698i
2,589i
9,890i
20,325i
Total:
* All numbers are estimates and further described in the Nuclear Notebook in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and the nuclear
appendix in the SIPRI Yearbook. Additional reports are published on the FAS Strategic Security Blog. Unlike those publications, this
table is updated continuously as new information becomes available. Current update: October 20, 2008.
a The estimate for the size and composition of the Russian stockpile comes with considerable uncertainty but is based on Cold War
levels, subsequent dismantlement rates, and official Russian statements. Perhaps as many as a quarter (~3,000) of the weapons listed as
stockpiled may be awaiting dismantlement.
b Approximately 200, probably including some inactive warheads, are deployed in Europe.
c An additional estimated 5,000 reserve warheads were formally removed from the DOD stockpile by the end of 2007. For now they
largely remain at their bases but will be moved to central storage before 2012 and dismantled by 2023. In addition, more than 12,000
plutonium pits and some 5,000 Canned Assemblies (secondaries) are in storage.
d
France is thought to have a small inventory of spare warheads. An additional reduction announced by President Sarkozy in March
2008 will reduced the inventory to slightly less than 300 warheads in 2009.
e Many "strategic" warheads are for regional use. The status of a Chinese non-strategic nuclear arsenal is uncertain. Some deployed
warheads may not be fully operational. Additional warheads are in storage, for a total stockpile of approximately 240 warheads.
f Only 50 missiles are left, for a maximum of 150 warheads. “Less than 160” warheads are said to be "operationally available," but a
small number of spares probably exist too. Forty-eight missiles are needed to arm three SSBNs with a maximum of 144 warheads. One
submarine with “up to 48 warheads” is on patrol at any given time. In addition to the operationally available warheads, Britain probably
has an inactive reserve.
g
All warheads of the four lesser nuclear powers are considered strategic. Only some of these may be operational.
h
There is no publicly available evidence that North Korea has operationalized its nuclear weapons capability. On October 8, 2006,
North Korea announced it had conducted a nuclear test.
i Numbers may not add up due to rounding and uncertainty about the operational status of the four lesser nuclear weapons states and
the uncertainty about the size of the total stockpile of three of the five initial nuclear powers.
Russia
United States
France
China
United Kingdom
Israel
Pakistan
India
North Korea
The exact number of nuclear weapons in each country's possession is a closely held national
secret. Despite this limitation, publicly available information and occasional leaks make it
possible to make best estimates about the size and composition of the national nuclear weapon
stockpiles.
World Nuclear Weapon Stockpiles 2008
Stockpiles include several sub-categories of weapons: active deployed (fully operational), active nondeployed (intact reserve weapons intended to increase deployed force), and inactive (reserve weapons with
limited-life components removed). Categories and definitions may vary depending on country. In the case
of the United States, when weapons are withdrawn from the stockpile (which refers to weapons under the
custody of the Defense Department), ownership is officially transferred to the Energy Department although
the weapons may remain in storage at military bases for many years before they are dismantled.
The information available for each country varies greatly, ranging from the most transparent nuclear weapons state
(United States) to the most opaque (North Korea). Accordingly, while the stockpile for the United States is based on
real numbers, the North Korean stockpile is highly uncertain. Indeed, although U.S. Intelligence claims that North
Korea may have assembled a few nuclear weapons and North Korea claims to have some, no information is
available in the public domain that proves that North Korea has assembled a nuclear weapons much less has an
operational nuclear weapon.
History of World Nuclear Weapon Stockpiles 1945-2008
The combined inventory of nuclear weapons has fluctuated considerably over the years. Between 1945
and 1986 the total number continued to increase, reaching a peak of approximately 70,000 weapons in
1986. As the Cold War faded and ended, the United States, Russia, Britain and France have reduced their
stockpiles. The reduction of Cold War inventories will likely continued for the next decade or so but then
level out as the countries determine the size of their post-Cold War stockpiles.
Additional Information: Detailed World Summary
Country profiles: Russia | United States | France | China | United Kingdom | Israel | Pakistan | India | North Korea
Maintained by: Hans M. Kristensen