Fact Sheet: Who Has Nuclear Weapons, And How Many Do They Have?
Global leaders are meeting in Washington on Thursday to unite against the threat of nuclear weapons around the world.
The
nuclear security summit, hosted by President Barack Obama, aims to put
pressure on North Korea amid concerns over its recent nuclear tests and
missile launches.
But many other countries, including the U.S., have known stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
More
than two dozen nations have nuclear power. Only nine possess actual
nuclear weapons: Russia, the United States, China, India, Israel,
France, North Korea, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
The Ploughshares Fund,
a global security foundation, estimates there are more than 15,000
nuclear weapons around the world; the U.S. and Russia possess 93 percent
of them. The former Cold War foes keep nearly 2,000 nuclear weapons at
the ready for immediate launch against each other, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
While
the exact number in each country's arsenal is often a closely guarded
secret, some information is publicly available. Here's a breakdown of
nuclear arsenals by country, based on data from leading experts in
nuclear estimates.
World Nuclear Firepower
MAR 31 2016, 4:37 PM ETRussia
- Total nuclear weapons: 7,300, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
- Number that are operational: 1,790
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 4,490
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 715, according to the (America) Arms Control Association.
- First test: August 1949
- Most recent test: October 1990
United States
- Total nuclear weapons: 6,970
- Number that are operational: 1,750
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 4,670
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 1,030
- First test: July 1945
- Most recent test: September 1992
China
- Total nuclear weapons: 260
- Number that are operational: 0 (??), according to the Federation of American Scientists. All are in stockpile.
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 260
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 45
- First test: October 1964
- Most recent test: July 1996
India
- Total nuclear weapons: 110 to 120
- Number that are operational: 0, according to the Federation of American Scientists. All are in stockpile.
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 110 to 120
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 3
- First test: May 1974
- Most recent test: May 1998
Israel
- Total nuclear weapons: 80
- Number that are operational: 0 (??), according to the Federation of American Scientists. All are in stockpile.
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 80
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 0. There haven't been any confirmed tests.
France
- Total nuclear weapons: About 300
- Number that are operational: 280
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 10
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 210
- First test: February 1960
- Most recent test: January 1996
North Korea
- Total nuclear weapons: Unknown. The U.S. said in February it had intelligence indicating the secretive nation could soon have enough plutonium for nuclear weapons and was taking steps toward a long-range missile system, but experts do not believe North Korea currently has the technology to deliver weapons.
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 4
- First test: October 2006
- Most recent test: January 2016
Pakistan
- Total nuclear weapons: 110 to 130
- Number that are operational: 0 (??)
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: all 110 to 130
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 2
- First test: May 28, 1998
- Most recent test: May 30, 1998
United Kingdom
- Total nuclear weapons: 215
- Number that are operational: 120
- Number retired/awaiting dismantlement: 95
- Total nuclear tests, approximately: 45
- First test: October 1952
- Most recent test: November 1991
Sources: (American) Nuclear Threat Initiative; Federation of American Scientists; (American) Arms Control Association.
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