India now possesses more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, while China has significantly expanded its nuclear arsenal from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 by January 2024, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on Monday.
The SIPRI report highlighted a global trend of nuclear modernisation, with nine nuclear-armed nations, including the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, all advancing their nuclear capabilities.
Several of these nations deployed new nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.
Key takeaways from the SIPRI report:
- China’s nuclear arsenal increased from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024 and is expected to continue growing.
- India had 172 stored nuclear warheads as of January 2024, slightly more than Pakistan’s 170.
- Both India and Pakistan developed new types of nuclear delivery systems in 2023.
- While Pakistan remains the primary focus of India's nuclear deterrent, India is increasingly emphasizing longer-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China.
- Around 2,100 deployed warheads globally are kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles, primarily by Russia and the US. For the first time, China is believed to have some warheads on high operational alert.
- Russia and the US together hold nearly 90 percent of all nuclear weapons.
- Russia is estimated to have deployed approximately 36 more warheads with operational forces than it had in January 2023.
- Despite its growth, China’s nuclear stockpile is expected to remain significantly smaller than those of Russia or the US.
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