US Leads Nuclear Weapons Spending with $69.2 Billion in 2025

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons reported on Tuesday that the combined nuclear weapons expenditure of the nine nuclear-armed countries worldwide is projected to increase by about 20 percent in 2025, reaching $119 billion.

This 19 percent rise compared to 2024 marks the highest level of nuclear weapons spending since the campaign began tracking annual expenditures for the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel in 2020.

The United States is expected to spend $69.2 billion, exceeding the combined total of all other nuclear nations and registering the largest increase at 22 percent.

The campaign stated that the United States is increasing its overall military budget while also expanding its nuclear arsenal.

China ranks second with a 7 percent rise in spending, reaching $13.5 billion.

The United Kingdom surpassed Russia to claim the third position in nuclear spending, with a 17 percent increase to $12.6 billion. Russia's expenditure is projected at $9.5 billion, up 6 percent.

The campaign, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, advocates for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.