Historical nuclear weapons stockpiles and nuclear tests by country

This article shows various estimates of the nuclear weapons stockpiles of various countries at various points in time. This article also shows the number of nuclear weapons tests conducted by each country at various points in time.

Nuclear weapons stockpiles

Graph of nuclear testing

The United States nuclear stockpile increased almost exponentially between 1945 and 1965, but then began declining after peaking in 1966.^[1] In 2012, the United States had several times fewer nuclear weapons than it had in 1966.^[2] The Soviet Union developed its first nuclear weapon in 1949 and had its nuclear stockpile increase very rapidly until 1986, when it peaked under Mikhail Gorbachev.^[1] After the decrease of Cold War tensions and eventually the end of the Cold War, the Soviet and Russian nuclear stockpile decreased by over 80% between 1986 and 2012.^[2] The U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles are projected to continue decreasing over the next decade.^[3] The United Kingdom and France became a nuclear power in 1952 and 1960 respectively. The British and French nuclear stockpiles peaked at about 500 nuclear weapons in 1981 and 1992, respectively.^[1]

U.S. and USSR/Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles/inventories, 1945–2006. The failing Soviet economy and the dissolution of the country between 1989-91 which marks the end of the Cold War and with it the relaxation of the arms race, brought about a large decrease in both nations stockpiles. The effects of the Megatons to Megawatts can also be seen in the mid 1990s, continuing Russia's reducing trend. A similar chart focusing solely on quantity of warheads in the multi-megaton range is also available.^[4] Moreover, total deployed US & "Russian" strategic weapons increased steadily from the 1980s until the Cold War ended.^[5]

China developed its first nuclear weapon in 1964 while its nuclear stockpile increased until the early 1980s, when it stabilized.^[1] India became a nuclear power in 1974, while Pakistan developed its first nuclear weapon in the 1980s.^[1]^[6] Both India and Pakistan currently have around one hundred nuclear weapons.^[2] Pakistan's nuclear stockpile has been increasing at a very fast rate, and it is speculated that Pakistan might have more nuclear weapons than the United Kingdom within a decade.^[7] South Africa successfully built six nuclear weapons in the 1980s, but dismantled all of them by the end of the 1990s after the end of apartheid.^[8] North Korea joined the nuclear club in 2006 or before.^[1]^[9] Without negotiations and "other proper measures", North Korea could increase its current nuclear weapons stockpile by several times by 2016.^[10] A United States Defense Intelligence Agency report from 1999 projected that both Iran and Iraq would join the nuclear club and have 10-20 nuclear weapons in 2020.^[11] However, it is worth pointing out that this report was written before the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and before info indicating that Iraq already gave up its nuclear weapons program by 1999 was released.^[11]

Over 2,000 nuclear explosions have been conducted, in over a dozen different sites around the world. Red Russia/Soviet Union, blue France, light blue United States, violet Britain, black Israel, orange China, yellow India, brown Pakistan, green North Korea and light green (territories exposed to nuclear bombs)

**Global Nuclear Weapons Stockpiles (1945-2025)**^[1]
Country	1945	1950	1955	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2014^[12]
United States	2	299	2,422	18,638	31,139	26,008	27,519	23,368	21,392	10,904	10,577	8,360	7,700	7,260	3,620 (for 2022)^[3]
Russia/ Soviet Union	0	5	200	1,605	6,129	11,643	19,055	30,062	39,197	37,000	27,000	21,500	17,000	7,500	3,350 (for 2022)^[12]
United Kingdom	0	0	14	42	436	394	492	492	422	422	422	281	281	215	180 (for around 2025)^[13]
France	0	0	0	0	32	36	188	250	360	505	500	470	350	300
China	0	0	0	0	5	75	180	205	243	232	234	232	235	260	150-220 (for 2020)^[11]
Israel	0	0	0	0	0	8	20	31	42	53	63	72	80	80	65-85 (for 2020)^[11]
India	0	0	0	0	0	0	0^[9]	1^[9]	3^[9]	7^[9]	14^[9]	28^[9]	44	90-110	50-70 (for 2020)^[11]
South Africa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0^[9]	3^[9]	6^[9]	0^[9]	0	0	0	0^[11]
Pakistan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0^[9]	4^[9]	13^[9]	28^[9]	38	100-120	150-200 (for 2021)^[14]
North Korea	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0^[9]	0^[15]-1^[9]	0^[15]-2^[9]	0^[15]-2^[9]	8^[9]	6-8	28-48 (for 2016)^[10]
Even before the United States of America started the nuclear club in 1945, some countries (most notably Nazi Germany) unsuccessfully attempted to build nuclear weapons.^[16]

Nuclear weapon tests

**Number of Nuclear Weapons Tests by Country (1945-2016)**^[17]
Country	1945-49	1950-54	1955-59	1960-64	1965-69	1970-74	1975-79	1980-84	1985-89	1990-94	1995-99	2005-09	2010-14	2015-16	Cumulative total
All countries	9	63	228	362	344	277	273	265	174	43	21	2	1	2	2,064
United States of America	8	43	145	198	230	136	96	84	71	21	0	0	0	0	1,032
Russia/The Soviet Union	1	17	65	147	85	101	126	116	56	1	0	0	0	0	715
United Kingdom	0	3	18	4	1	1	4	8	4	2	0	0	0	0	45
France	0	0	0	12	19	32	37	51	41	12	6	0	0	0	210
China	0	0	0	1	9	6	10	6	2	7	4	0	0	0	45
Israel	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
India	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	6
South Africa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pakistan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	6
North Korea	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1^[18]	2	5

From the first nuclear test in 1945, worldwide nuclear testing increased rapidly until the 1970s, when it peaked.^[17] However, there was still a large amount of worldwide nuclear testing until the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.^[17] Afterwards, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was signed and ratified by the major nuclear weapons powers, and the number of worldwide nuclear tests decreased rapidly.^[17] India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998, but afterwards only North Korea conducted nuclear tests—in 2006, 2009, and 2013.^[17]^[19]

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Norris, Robert; Hans M. Kristensen (July 1, 2010). "Global nuclear weapons inventories, 1945−2010". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. doi:10.2968/066004008. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
1 2 3 "6. World nuclear forces — www.sipri.org". Sipri.org. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
1 2 Kristensen, Hans (December 2012). "Trimming Nuclear Excess" (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
↑ MULTIMEGATON WEAPONS The Largest Nuclear Weapons by Wm. Robert Johnston
↑ Hans M. Kristensen 2012, "Estimated US-Russian Nuclear Warhead Inventories 1977-2018."
↑ Kerr, Paul; Mary Beth Nikitin (June 26, 2012). "Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
↑ "Mitt Romney says Pakistan is on a path to overtake the U.K. in nuclear weapons". PolitiFact.com. Tampa Bay Times. October 22, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-11-15. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
↑ "South Africa". Nuclear Threat Initiative. November 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Johnston, Wm. Robert (August 23, 2008). "Nuclear Stockpiles: South Africa, India, Pakistan, and North Korea, warheads and megatonnage, various estimates". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
1 2 "N. Korea may own 48 nuclear weapons by 2015: report", The Korea Times, August 17, 2012, retrieved February 8, 2013
1 2 3 4 5 6 Aftergood, Steven; Hans M. Kristensen (January 8, 2007). "Nuclear Weapons - Israel". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
1 2 "11. World nuclear forces — www.sipri.org". Sipri.org. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
↑ Hammond, Philip (December 12, 2012). "Working towards nuclear disarmament". The U.K. Government. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
↑ Norris, Robert; Hans M. Kristensen (July 1, 2011). "Pakistan's nuclear forces, 2011". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. doi:10.1177/0096340211413360. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
1 2 3 Gordon, Michael (March 9, 2002), "U.S. Nuclear Plan Sees New Weapons and New Targets", The New York Times, retrieved February 8, 2013
↑ Hall, Allan (July 13, 2011), "Nazi nuclear waste from Hitler's secret A-bomb programme found in mine", The Daily Mail, retrieved February 8, 2013
1 2 3 4 5 Fedchenko, Vitaly (December 2009). "NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR TEST EXPLOSION, 2009" (PDF). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
↑ Chance, David. "North Korea conducts third nuclear test, sparks condemnation". Reuters. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
↑ Chance, David (2012-10-24). "Nuclear test protects country from 'hostile' US, North Korea says - World News". Worldnews.nbcnews.com. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents

Main accident lists	List of attacks on nuclear plants List of Chernobyl-related articles List of crimes involving radioactive substances List of criticality accidents and incidents List of nuclear meltdown accidents List of Milestone nuclear explosions List of military nuclear accidents List of nuclear and radiation accidents List of nuclear and radiation accidents by death toll List of nuclear weapons tests List of sunken nuclear submarines

Lists by country	List of canceled nuclear plants in the United States List of inquiries into uranium mining in Australia List of nuclear and radiation fatalities by country List of nuclear power accidents by country List of nuclear reactors by country List of nuclear test sites List of nuclear weapon test locations List of nuclear weapons tests of the Soviet Union List of nuclear weapons tests of the United States

Individual accidents and sites	2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster 2001 Instituto Oncologico Nacional#Accident 1996 San Juan de Dios radiotherapy accident 1990 Clinic of Zaragoza radiotherapy accident 1987 Goiânia accident 1986 Chernobyl disaster and Chernobyl disaster effects 1979 Three Mile Island accident and Three Mile Island accident health effects 1969 Lucens reactor 1962 Thor missile launch failures at Johnston Atoll under Operation Fishbowl 1962 Cuban missile crisis 1961 K-19 nuclear accident 1961 SL-1 nuclear meltdown 1957 Kyshtym disaster 1957 Windscale fire 1957 Operation Plumbbob 1954 Totskoye nuclear exercise Bikini Atoll Hanford Site Rocky Flats Plant 1945 Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Related topics	Books about nuclear issues Films about nuclear issues Anti-war movement Bikini Atoll Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists France and weapons of mass destruction History of the anti-nuclear movement International Day against Nuclear Tests Nuclear close calls Nuclear-Free Future Award Nuclear-free zone Nuclear power debate Nuclear power phase-out Nuclear weapons debate Peace activists Peace movement Peace camp Russell–Einstein Manifesto Smiling Sun

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