The advent of nuclear weapons changed human history. Their existence has influenced global politics for over 75 years and still casts a shadow over conflicts today. And while their numbers have declined, thousands of nuclear weapons exist around the world today.
This animated map tracks stockpiles of nuclear weapons from 1945 to 2023. Using estimates from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), it shows how nuclear arsenals have changed over time.
The map uses modern borders and country names to show which nations have nuclear weapons. Tickers for each country, as well as a global inventory, track the rise and fall of nuclear stockpiles. The bottom chart ranks countries by their number of weapons and marks each country’s highest total.
While the US, Russia, and the UK were the first to develop nuclear weapons, other countries soon followed. Stockpiles increased globally until their peak in 1986, after which they steadily fell. Most of this reduction came from the US and Russia, which slashed their stockpiles by nearly 90% over time.
The general trend in reduction is encouraging but there are some important caveats. As of 2023, nine countries still had nuclear weapons. And some countries, such as China, India, and the UK, are growing their stockpiles. The FAS also notes that current weapons are much more capable than their predecessors. Despite the overall reduction of stockpiles, we still face grave peril from nuclear weapons.
By The Numbers
Percentage of stockpiled global nuclear weapons owned by Russia and the US as of 2023.
Number of countries (South Africa) that have eliminated their nuclear stockpile.
More to Explore
- Explore the delicate science of dismantling nuclear weapons.
- Learn about the New START treaty, which aims to reduce nuclear arms between Russia and the US.
