Washington, DC – In a worrying sign of escalating international geopolitical tensions, a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) reveals that the nine nuclear-armed states increased their spending on their nuclear arsenals by 19% by 2025. The report’s figures show that total global spending on these deadly weapons reached $119 billion – a staggering sum equivalent to spending approximately $3,768 per second. This presents the world with a significant moral and economic challenge.
US leads in military spending
The International Center for Strategic Studies (ICSS), winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, is the driving force behind the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 2021.
The report highlighted the disparity in spending among nuclear powers. The United States topped the list with $69.2 billion, more than the combined spending of the other eight nuclear states.
China came in second with $13.5 billion. The United Kingdom surprised many by surpassing Russia to take third place with $12.6 billion, compared to Russia’s $9.5 billion.
Map of global nuclear arsenals
Regarding nuclear stockpiles, the report indicated that Russia still possesses the world’s largest arsenal with 5,420 nuclear weapons, followed by the United States with 5,042. The remaining arsenals are distributed among China (620), France (300), the United Kingdom (225), India (190), Pakistan (170), Israel (90), and North Korea (60).
The human cost of the arms race
The report didn’t stop at listing military figures; it also drew a stark humanitarian comparison. ICAN asserted that the amount spent in just one day on nuclear armaments could have provided food for two million people suffering from hunger.
The organization indicated that the funds squandered on this sector in the past three years alone would have been sufficient to eradicate world hunger. The report further noted that the spending in 2025 alone could have funded the United Nations’ regular budget for 32 consecutive years.
These figures raise serious questions for the international community about global spending priorities, especially in light of the humanitarian, environmental, and economic crises plaguing the world. Therefore, the escalation of the nuclear arms race poses a threat not only to global security but also to the depletion of resources that could have ensured human stability and prosperity.
