Military Spending on Nuclear Weapons in 2025 Records a 19% Increase

Illustration: ICAN

The exorbitant increase in global military spending recorded in 2025, reaching US$2.8 trillion, highlights the extreme importance of the report released by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), PREMEDITATED: NUCLEAR WEAPONS SPENDING IN 2025, which makes it possible to observe, in isolation, the increase in the budget allocated to nuclear weapons, which reached US$119 billion in spending last year. Thus, it confirms a worrying international scenario in which countries increasingly develop their nuclear arsenals in pursuit of a false security policy based on nuclear deterrence as a guarantee of State sovereignty.

Efforts to reduce the production and spread of nuclear weapons intensified during the Cold War with the creation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1968, to which more than 190 countries are party. This effort expanded with the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2017, which aims to achieve the total prohibition of nuclear weapons. However, nuclear-armed States remain outside the treaty, with no prospect of accession.

In light of this, it is evident that, despite the persistent efforts to combat the development of and investment in this industry, the nine nuclear weapon-producing countries are moving in the opposite direction by increasing the budgets allocated to maintaining and manufacturing new—and more modern—arsenals. One of the main justifications for these expenditures is nuclear deterrence, a theory that argues that the possession and modernization of nuclear arsenals do not necessarily result in their use, but rather prevent potential attacks by adversarial States. However, nuclear deterrence contains a paradox: while it seeks to prevent wars through the logic of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), it also drives the recurring increase in investment in the sector, fueling an arms race that undermines the ability to address the real needs of civil society. Demonstrating the stark contrast between investment in the arms industry and civilian needs, the amount spent on nuclear weapons over the past three years would have been sufficient to finance programs to eradicate world hunger (ICAN, 2025).

The same report further reveals that nuclear weapon-producing countries increased their spending by an average of US$16.8 billion (19%) compared to 2024 (US$100 billion). When the last five years are combined, total spending reaches US$471 billion. The United States leads this increase in nuclear expenditures, raising its spending by US$12.4 billion since 2024 and spending more than all the other nuclear-armed States combined, with US$69.2 billion. It is followed by China, with US$13.5 billion, and, contrary to expectations, the United Kingdom rather than Russia ranks third, spending US$12.6 billion. Next come Russia, with US$9.5 billion; France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea.

Country spending on nuclear weapons in 2025. Source: ICAN

Also noteworthy are the 25 companies involved in the development and maintenance of these systems, signing multi-billion-dollar contracts that generated US$38 billion in revenue from activities related to nuclear weapons production and currently hold at least US$401 billion in ongoing contracts. In this regard, it is also necessary to understand that the production and maintenance of these systems are rarely limited to short periods, instead involving a lengthy process that begins with approval, research, design, construction, and ultimately deployment. Contracts lasting more than ten years are established with these companies, such as the ongoing BAE Systems contract for the construction of a nuclear submarine in the United Kingdom, which extends until 2033, and the U.S. Pantex contract, focused on maintaining and modernizing nuclear facilities, which runs until 2044. Within this framework, companies also allocate substantial resources to lobbying activities. In 2025, US$138 million was spent to influence political decisions that would enable the continuation of nuclear programs. This concerning trend emphasizes the economic dimension involved in the manufacture, modernization, and maintenance of these arsenals, demonstrating that, behind the military strategy, there is a production cycle that guarantees profits for the private sector.

In this context, the astronomical levels of spending on nuclear weapons in 2025 reveal a significant disparity when compared with investments in health and education. According to a study conducted by Brown University's Costs of War project, the budget allocated to nuclear programs is not only harmful but also generates a much lower level of employment than the civilian sectors mentioned above. Despite this evidence, projected spending for the coming years is even higher, with increases planned and requested by the leaders of these nations. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, for example, announced a military spending plan totaling €449 billion between 2024 and 2030, including an additional €36 billion for expanding nuclear systems. A similar situation exists in the United Kingdom, where Parliament has already approved £128 billion in military spending, along with an annual increase of 6% in the total military budget. It is worth noting that these estimates are conservative, considering the historical tendency of nuclear weapons programs to require even greater financial resources.

The amount spent by nuclear-armed countries every moment of 2025. Source: ICAN

The amount spent on nuclear weapons every second is US$3,768, money that could instead be directed toward reforestation, efforts to advance the global energy transition, investments in basic sanitation, food security, infrastructure, and other essential areas. Considering only the resources spent by the United States on nuclear weapons, the annual budget of the United Nations could be funded 19 times, illustrating how this capital could make a profound difference in advancing Human Rights. Nevertheless, the opposite trend is being observed among the nuclear powers, making it essential for civil society to organize in order to curb these enormous expenditures and redirect them toward sectors that would genuinely improve living conditions rather than endanger them. Reports such as the one produced by ICAN reveal the immense amount of resources devoted to militarization, and particularly to nuclear weapons, raising an important question: what have been the investment priorities of governments?

How much is spent on nuclear weapons compared to how much is spent on the UN? Source: ICAN

Therefore, the current scenario is deeply alarming, as it demonstrates how spending on weapons of mass destruction is progressively becoming a priority of State policy. Furthermore, countries that are already party to these treaties have expressed growing concerns—in light of rising investments in nuclear weapons and the interest in developing their own nuclear systems—highlighting both the sensitive moment in which this agenda finds itself and the fragility of the "security" supposedly guaranteed by nuclear deterrence.

In this regard, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres (2025), has expressed concern and warned: “global security has continued to deteriorate, calling into question the effectiveness of more military spending to enhance security”. This underscores the complexity of the gradual increase in nuclear spending and the notion of security that is, in reality, artificially constructed. Meanwhile, genuine needs, lacking both visibility and funding, continue to grow in the shadow of State priorities.

Written by: Valkiria Irineu

Reviewed by: Fernando Fiala

03/07/2026 BRT

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the institutional position of Dhesarme.

References

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS (ICAN). Premeditated: 2025 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending. Geneva: ICAN, 2026. Available at: https://www.icanw.org/premeditated_2025_global_nuclear_weapons_spending. Accessed: July 3, 2026.

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS (ICAN). Signature and Ratification Status. Geneva: ICAN, [2026]. Available at: https://www.icanw.org/signature_and_ratification_status_v1. Accessed: July 3, 2026.

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS (ICAN). 2025 Nuclear Weapons Spending Reaches $119 Billion. Geneva: ICAN, June 9, 2026. Available at: https://www.icanw.org/2025_nuclear_weapons_spending_reaches_119_billion. Accessed: July 3, 2026.

FOREIGN RELATIONS. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): What It Is, Objectives and Participating Countries. [S. l.]: Foreign Relations, Sept. 24, [n.d.]. Available at: https://relacoesexteriores.com.br/tratado-proibicao-armas-nucleares-24-set/. Accessed: July 3, 2026.