The U.S. Has Shrunk Its Nuclear Arsenal By 90% Since The Cold War Peak

Recently, the United States has revealed its nuclear warhead stockpile, which stands at 3,748 as of September 2023.

This public disclosure, the first since 2021, from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) includes both active and inactive warheads. Active warheads are strategic and non-strategic weapons that are maintained in a ready-for-use state. In contrast, inactive warheads are stored in a non-operational status, with their tritium bottles removed.

Interestingly, the data reveals that the US dismantled only 69 nuclear warheads by September of last year, marking the lowest annual number since 1994. This is a stark reduction from the 122 warheads dismantled in 2022 and the 214 in 2021. A dismantled warhead has been disassembled into its parts.

Moreover, the NNSA reports that “approximately 2,000 additional nuclear warheads are currently retired and awaiting dismantlement.”

Historically, the US had a peak of 31,255 nuclear warheads at the end of 1967. Today’s stockpile is an 88 percent reduction from that peak. The US has continuously reduced its arsenal, with significant reductions such as in 1992 when the count dropped from 19,008 in 1991 to 13,708.

Additionally, the number of “non-strategic nuclear weapons held by the US has declined by more than 90 percent since September 30, 1991.” These non-strategic weapons are not accountable under the New START treaty, a nuclear arms reduction agreement between the US and Russia that limits deployed strategic nuclear warheads.

During the Cold War, the US peaked at 31,255 warheads in 1967, which decreased to 22,217 by 1989 and stands at 3,748 today. While the US continues to reduce its stockpile, other nations, such as China, are reportedly expanding theirs at a rapid pace.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) Yearbook 2024, China’s nuclear arsenal grew from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 by January 2024, a 20% increase in a year. The report warns that China may have as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as either Russia or the US by the decade’s end.

The SIPRI report also revealed Russia’s military nuclear stockpile at 4,380 warheads, excluding retired ones awaiting dismantlement, placing Russia at the top of the list. The US was listed second, followed by the UK with an undisclosed number of warheads.

Other countries with significant military nuclear stockpiles include France, India, and Israel.