Top 9 nuclear-armed states spent record $91.4bn on nuclear weapons in 2023: Report

With the surge in global military expenditure, nine nuclear-armed countries collectively increased their investment in nuclear arsenals by an estimated 13.4% to $91.4 billion, led by the United States which accounted for more than half of the total spend, according to a report of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). 

This expenditure translates to $2,898 spent per second on nuclear arsenals.

The United States spearheaded this surge with an 18% increase in spending. It spent $51.5 billion, more than all of the other nuclear-armed states combined.

China followed with $11.9 billion, surpassing Russia's $8.3 billion. Britain was the third highest spender at $8.1 billion, with France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea trailing behind.

Over the past five years, global spending on nuclear weapons has surged by 34%, according to ICAN, which has been tracking these expenditures.

This increase reflects efforts by nations to modernise and deploy advanced nuclear weaponry, as corroborated by separate findings from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

"I think it is fair to say there is a nuclear arms race underway," ICAN chief Melissa Parke told AFp, reflecting on the findings that paint a worrisome picture of global security dynamics.

Corporate Influence and Lobbying

ICAN's report highlighted the substantial influence wielded by 20 nuclear weapons development and maintenance companies, which collectively earned $31 billion in 2023. 

These companies secured at least $7.9 billion in new contracts, bringing the total outstanding contracts to $335 billion. 

The report said, "Each company that builds nuclear weapons exerts influence throughout the government, think tanks and financial institutions. These companies spent $118 million lobbying governments in the US and France, an $11 million increase from 2022. 

"Companies donated more than $6 million to the top think tanks researching and writing about nuclear weapons and current and former employees of these companies sit on think tank boards of directors and advisory councils. They also sit on the boards of financial institutions that have significant investments in their companies."

Urgent Calls for Disarmament

ICAN, which has been advocating for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), urged nuclear-armed states to reassess their priorities. 

The treaty has garnered support from 70 countries, urging nuclear powers to join in and enhance global security.

ICAN co-author Alicia Sanders-Zakre said, "The acceleration of spending on these inhumane and destructive weapons over the past five years is not improving global security but posing a global threat."

ICAN Chief Melissa Parke echoed the concerns, labelling the massive expenditures on nuclear weapons as "a profound and unacceptable misallocation of public funds" that could instead address pressing global issues like hunger and climate change. 

She said, "These numbers are obscene, and it is money that the state says is going towards weapons that... will never be used."

SIPRI Findings and Global Security Dynamics

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) corroborated ICAN's findings, noting a slight global decrease in nuclear warheads from 12,512 to 12,121. 

However, the United States and Russia still dominate with 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, and nearly all of the 2,100 high-alert warheads are held by these two nations, with China now also having some on high alert for the first time.