How many countries now have nuclear weapons?

 

There are currently nine countries that are known or generally understood to possess nuclear weapons. 

The Nine Nuclear-Armed States 

The international community divides these nations into two categories based on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): 

• Recognized NPT Nuclear-Weapon States: These five nations are officially recognized by the treaty and serve as the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
  • United States
  • Russia
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • China 
• Non-NPT Nuclear-Armed States: These countries never signed or later withdrew from the treaty and successfully built weapons.
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • North Korea
  • Israel: Maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity—neither officially confirming nor denying possession—but is universally acknowledged by experts to have a stockpile. 

Key Details on the Global Stockpile

• The Global Inventory: Combined, these nine countries hold an estimated global arsenal of roughly 12,100 to 12,300 nuclear warheads.
• The Two Superpowers: The United States and Russia hold approximately 90% of the world's nuclear weapons.
• Nuclear Sharing: Five European nations (Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey) do not have their own arsenals but host U.S. tactical nuclear weapons under NATO sharing agreements. Additionally, Belarus hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons.