Global Nuclear Arsenal Spending Hits Record $119 Billion as Nine Powers Increase Arms Investments

Worldwide spending on nuclear weapons reached a historic high of $119 billion in 2024, marking a record 19 percent increase from the previous year. The surge represents the largest annual rise since monitoring began in 2020, driven by investments from nine nuclear-armed nations. The United States, China, Britain, Russia, France, India, Pakistan, and North Korea comprise the officially recognized nuclear powers responsible for most of the spending, with Israel's estimated nuclear weapons expenditure also included in the total. The dramatic increase reflects growing global tensions and renewed nuclear modernization efforts among the world's atomic powers, as nations prioritize upgrading and expanding their strategic arsenals amid an increasingly unstable international security environment.