Nuclear weapons worldwide in 2022

The number of nuclear weapons worldwide has been declining since the mid-1980s, when they reached an all-time peak of nearly 70 000 nuclear warheads (see Figure 13). The decline has been due primarily to cuts made in the Russian and US nuclear forces as a result of three arms limitation treaties agreed since 1991, as well as unilateral force reductions. Nevertheless, there are still approximately 12 512 nuclear warheads worldwide; of these, an estimated 3 844 are deployed with operational forces and around 2 000 of these are kept in a state of high operational alert, mainly by the USA and Russia, ready to be used at short notice. Between them, the USA and Russia still possess some 11 133 deployed and stockpiled nuclear warheads. Moreover, the pace of reductions in nuclear arsenals is slowing. Neither Russia nor the USA – which together hold about 90 % of the world’s nuclear weapons (see Figure 13) – has so far signalled any intention to make further reductions in its strategic nuclear forces beyond the cuts mandated by New START. In 2021, New START was extended for another five years, until 2026. Even though Russia has unilaterally ‘suspended’ the Treaty (see above), the country has indicated that it will continue to adhere to New START’s central limits on the deployment of strategic nuclear warheads.