China Records Unprecedented Surge in Nuclear Arsenal
(MENAFN) China’s nuclear weapons stockpile is expanding at an unprecedented pace, outstripping all other nations and reaching an estimated 600 warheads by early 2025. This rapid growth is intensifying global strategic tensions and fueling a fresh arms race, according to a report released Monday by the independent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Since 2023, China has been increasing its nuclear warheads by about 100 annually, the SIPRI Yearbook 2025 highlights, sounding the alarm over the erosion of international arms control agreements that once helped limit nuclear proliferation.
The report details that, as of January this year, China has constructed or nearly completed approximately 350 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. Experts project that by 2030, China could field an ICBM force comparable in size to those of the United States and Russia.
Despite this sharp rise, SIPRI notes that even if China’s nuclear arsenal reaches 1,500 warheads by 2035, it would still constitute only roughly one-third of the current inventories held by Russia and the US.
The analysis also reveals that all nine nuclear-armed countries—including the US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel—continued to modernize and expand their nuclear forces throughout 2024.
Globally, the total number of nuclear weapons slightly declined to 12,241 warheads, but SIPRI warns of a “dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging” amid these developments.
Russia currently holds the largest nuclear arsenal with 5,459 warheads, followed closely by the US with 5,177 warheads. Together, these two powers possess around 90% of the world's nuclear weapons, the report states.
Israel, with an estimated 90 warheads, has not officially disclosed its nuclear arsenal size. However, it is believed to be upgrading its capabilities, having tested a missile propulsion system in 2024 and seemingly enhancing its plutonium production reactor at Dimona.
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