Nuclear weapons - Statistics & Facts
The threat posed by nuclear weapons has loomed over humanity ever since their creation and deployment during World War Two. Nuclear weapons were first developed by the United States via the research and development program known as the Manhattan Project, led by theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer. As of 2024, the world's nuclear powers have approximately 12,100 nuclear warheads, the vast majority belonging to Russia and the United States. According to recent estimates, nuclear powers collectively spent 82.9 billion U.S. dollars on their nuclear weapons programs in 2022, with the United States accounting for 43.7 billion dollars of this expenditure. While there are considerably fewer nuclear warheads than there were at the height of the Cold War, it is unlikely that the world's nuclear powers will give up these weapons entirely. The deterrence theory, whereby a country retains nuclear weapons to deter other nuclear powers, underpins the logic behind maintaining a nuclear capability. Global nuclear disarmament would therefore require a substantial diplomatic effort based on mutual trust and transparency. Tensions between the two major nuclear powers have rendered this a remote possibility, particularly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and hinted that any interference from outside forces would be met with a devastating response.
