Nuclear weapons, disarmament and arms control

Overview

There are nine countries in the world that possess nuclear weapons:

• Five nuclear weapon states recognised under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968 (NPT) – the United States, Russia, UK, France and China
• Three de facto nuclear weapon states that have developed a nuclear capability outside of the NPT framework – Israel, Pakistan and India
• North Korea, which despite not being recognised by the international community as a nuclear weapons state, is considered potentially nuclear capable.

Between them, they possess over 12,000 nuclear weapons (both operational and non-operational).

The NPT represents the only binding commitment to nuclear disarmament in a multilateral treaty agreed by the recognised nuclear weapon states. However, the treaty does not specifically prohibit updating existing weapons systems and it gives no timeframe for nuclear disarmament. None of the nuclear weapon states are signatories to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

A review conference of the NPT is due to begin at the end of April 2026. Ahead of that conference, there are concerns that nuclear disarmament and arms control is beginning to unravel. All the nuclear weapons states are modernising, and in some cases expanding, their nuclear capabilities. The last bilateral nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February 2026 and there is no successor treaty in place. It is the first time since 1972 that the nuclear weapon stockpiles of the two largest nuclear states have not been subject to limitations.