Led by US, Nuclear-Armed Nations Spent 'Unthinkable' $119 Billion on Their Arsenals Last Year

Research published Tuesday by a renowned nonproliferation group shows that the world's nine nuclear-armed countries spent a total of $119 billion last year—$3,768 per second—on their arsenals of civilization-destroying weaponry, even as the rising costs of basic necessities left millions of families unable to make ends meet.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, found that the United States spent more than every other nuclear-armed nation combined, shelling out $69.2 billion in taxpayer money for its sprawling arsenal of atomic weapons—a 22% increase compared to 2024.

"At a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing and food and fuel are unaffordable for so many, it is unthinkable that these nine countries are spending billions on a false promise of security," said Susi Snyder, ICAN's director of programs and co-author of the new report. "Nuclear weapons cannot be used without causing catastrophe, and the false logic of nuclear deterrence requires us to trust our enemies with our very survival."

Behind the US, the next biggest nuclear weapons spenders in 2025 were China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and France. Every nuclear-armed country spent more on their arsenals last year than they did in 2024.

"Several nuclear-armed states have published nuclear weapons spending projections of tens of billions or even past $1 trillion for the next decade or several decades," the report states. "And all nuclear-armed states have weapons systems that will remain operational at least until 2050, if not until the next century."

ICAN found that world hunger, which is on the rise as the US-Israeli war on Iran threatens a global food crisis, "could have been ended with what was spent on nuclear weapons in the last three years alone."

"The spending on nuclear weapons in 2025 is equal to 32 times the regular UN annual budget for the year," the report observes. "One second of British nuclear spending could have bought 242 liters of petrol, even with fuel prices skyrocketing. Investments in energy transition and decentralization efforts would also have contributed to addressing fuel insecurity; one day of nuclear weapons spending could have instead helped 17,000 individuals transition to solar-powered homes or paid to plant 2 billion trees."

"That is a way to spend for security," the report adds, "not the premeditated mass murder this spending represents."

ICAN also details the corporate beneficiaries of ever-growing nuclear weapons spending—and companies' efforts to lobby lawmakers responsible for appropriating funds.

"The US has the most companies involved in its nuclear arsenal," ICAN's report shows. "The following 19 companies have outstanding contracts worth at least $375 billion for work related to nuclear weapons: Amentum, BAE Systems, Bechtel, Boeing, BWX Technologies, Fluor, General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Honeywell International, L3 Harris, Leidos, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Peraton, Rolls Royce, RTX (Raytheon), SPAInc, and Textron."

The US corporations "significantly involved in nuclear weapons production" spent $134 million on lobbying last year, according to ICAN.

"This project has documented exorbitant spending on nuclear weapons for years, outside of democratic oversight or public scrutiny," the report states. "The funds that go to nuclear arms could instead have strengthened global diplomatic capacities, including through the United Nations, to generate sustained security through multilateral agreement. Instead, a new nuclear arms race is underway, demonstrating a long-term plan that if not stopped, has the potential to end life as we know it."

"Every citizen, politician, and banker can choose to further the development and maintenance of nuclear weapons or demand their dismantlement," the report concludes.