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

By Olivia Le Poidevin

Jun 8, 2026

Nuclear officials stand near the entrance to a reactor at the Browns Ferry nuclear facility in Alabama, in this photo taken March 25, 2011. REUTERS/Matthew Bigg — Staff Photographer

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, June 8 (Reuters) - Spending on nuclear weapons by the world's nine nuclear-armed states rose by almost a fifth in 2025 to $119 billion, a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said on Tuesday.

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

• The U.S. spent $69.2 billion, more than all other nuclear states combined, and saw largest increase, at 22%.

• U.S. is increasing military spending in general as well as rebuilding nuclear arsenal, ICAN says.

• China came second, increasing by 7% to $13.5 billion.

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

• 2017 Nobel Peace laureate ICAN seeks total elimination of nuclear weapons.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Kevin Liffey)