Why Are the World’s Nine Nuclear-Armed States Spending More on Their Arsenals?

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Defense & Security

Why Are the World’s Nine Nuclear-Armed States Spending More on Their Arsenals?

The world's nine nuclear-armed states spent nearly $83 billion on their arsenals in 2022, the third straight year of increases. That's according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons, or ICAN, a non-profit that tracks spending on atomic weapons. The US alone accounted for more than half of total spending, but China also saw a big jump, increasing both its stockpile and overall spending. Currently, the US and Russia account for nearly 90% of all nuclear weapons. But China saw gains last year, expanding its stockpile from 350 warheads in January 2022 to 410 just a year later. SIPRI estimates that China could potentially have as many intercontinental ballistic missiles as the US and Russia by early next decade.