Report: More Than US$3,700 A Second Spent On Nuclear Weapons

GENEVA, June 9 (Bernama-dpa) -- The world's nine nuclear-armed states increased spending on their nuclear arsenals by 19 per cent in 2025, according to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), reported German Press Agency (dpa).

ICAN put total spending last year at US$119 billion, equivalent to US$3,768 per second, the organisation said.

ICAN was the driving force behind the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for its work. The treaty entered into force in 2021.

According to ICAN, the United States spent more on nuclear weapons in 2025 than the other eight nuclear-armed states combined.

US spending stood at US$69.2 billion, followed by China with US$13.5 billion. The United Kingdom (UK) overtook Russia to take third place, spending US$12.6 billion, while Russia spent US$9.5 billion, according to the report.

Russia had the largest nuclear arsenal, with 5,420 weapons, ICAN said. It was followed by the US with 5,042, China with 620, France with 300, UK with 225, India with 190, Pakistan with 170, Israel with 90 and North Korea with 60.

ICAN said that, by its calculations, the amount spent in a single day could ensure that 2 million people no longer had to worry about where their next meal would come from.

The organisation said the money spent over the past three years alone could have ended world hunger.

Spending in 2025 could also have covered the regular United Nations budget for 32 years, the report said.

-- BERNAMA-dpa