SIPRI Report: India Surpasses Pakistan in Nuclear Arsenal, China Expands Rapidly

India now possesses more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, while China’s arsenal has significantly expanded, according to the latest SIPRI report. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed that China’s nuclear warheads increased from 410 in January 2023 to 500 by January 2024, with expectations of further growth.

Key Takeaways:

• India holds 172 nuclear warheads, slightly more than Pakistan’s 170.
• Both India and Pakistan are developing new nuclear delivery systems.
• India’s nuclear focus remains on Pakistan, but there is increasing emphasis on longer-range weapons targeting China.
• China now has some warheads on high operational alert for the first time.
• Nine nuclear-armed nations, including the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, continue to modernize their arsenals.
• Approximately 2,100 warheads, mainly from Russia and the US, are kept in a state of high operational alert.
• Russia and the US hold almost 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, with Russia deploying around 36 more warheads than in January 2023.
• Despite its rapid growth, China’s nuclear stockpile remains smaller than those of Russia or the US.