US leads record rise in spending on nuclear arsenals, campaign group says

GENEVA - Spending on nuclear weapons by the world’s nine nuclear-armed states rose by almost a fifth in 2025 to US$119 billion, a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said on June 9.

The 19 per cent increase from 2024 produced the highest expenditure on nuclear weapons since the campaign group began tracking the annual nuclear arms expenditure of the US, Russia, China, France, Britain, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel in 2020.

The US spent US$69.2 billion, more than all other nuclear states combined, and saw largest increase, at 22 per cent.

The US is increasing military spending in general as well as rebuilding nuclear arsenal, ICAN says.

China came second, increasing by 7 per cent to US$13.5 billion.

Britain overtook Russia to become third-biggest spender, up 17 per cent to US$12.6 billion. Russia spent US$9.5 billion, increase of 6 per cent.

The 2017 Nobel Peace laureate ICAN seeks the total elimination of nuclear weapons. REUTERS