Nuclear arms spending soars as global tensions swell

June 17, 2024 - Investment in nuclear weapons has increased by 13% to a record $91.4 billion during 2023, driven by a sharp rise in U.S. defence budgets amid growing geopolitical tensions.

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In 2023 China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the UK and U.S. spent a combined $91.4 billion on their nuclear arms, which breaks down to $2,898 a second, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican).

The United States’ share of total spending, $51.5 billion, is more than all the other nuclear-armed countries put together.

The report provides a stark and troubling overview of global nuclear weapons expenditure: it has surged by 34% in the past five years, from $68.2 billion to $91.4 billion annually, with a cumulative total of $387 billion during this period.