Top 9 nuclear-armed countries in 2025: Where do India and Pakistan rank?

Notably, the ‘two superpowers’ from the Cold War period, the United States and Russia, collectively hold about 88% of the world’s total nuclear arsenal and 84% of the warheads that are readily available for military use.

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Since the Cold War, global nuclear arsenals have declined from a high of around 70,300 warheads in 1986 to an estimated 12,331 by the start of 2025. (Credit and Source: Federation of American Scientists)

However, presently, both nations are taking gradual steps to diminish their stockpiles through the dismantling of decommissioned warheads; several other countries—such as China, India, and Pakistan—are reportedly expanding their nuclear inventories.

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Presently, no other nuclear-armed state sees a need for more than a few hundred nuclear weapons for national security; however, notably, the top nine nuclear-armed nations collectively possess around 12,331 warheads as of early 2025, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) study.

Top 9 nuclear-armed countries in the world, as of early 2025: