Report: Global Nuclear Weapons Spending Reached $91.4B In 2023

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Facts

• According to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), global spending on nuclear weapons surged by 13% to a record $91.4B in 2023, $10.7B more compared to the previous year.¹
• The US share of total funding reportedly increased to $51.5B — more than the combined spending of all nine nuclear-armed states — and accounted for 80% of the 2023 rise.²
• The next largest spender was China, with $11.8B, followed by Russia, with $8.3B, while the UK's nuclear weapons spending rose by 17% to $8.1B for the second consecutive year.³
• Since ICAN began collecting data in 2018, the nuclear-armed states — including India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea — have spent about $387B on nuclear weapons, a 33% jump from the $68.2B spent six years ago.⁴
• Alicia Sanders-Zakre, the co-author of the report, urged the nuclear-armed states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 'instead of investing in Armageddon.' ICAN received the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its contribution to drafting the treaty.⁵
• As of January, the global nuclear stockpile is estimated to comprise over 12K warheads, with the US and Russia collectively owning nearly 90% of all nuclear weapons.⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Icanw, ³The New Indian Express, ⁴NDTV.com, ⁵The Express Tribune and ⁶Euronews.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Timesofisrael. The report reveals that while the global number of nuclear warheads continues to fall, the number of operational nuclear warheads is on the rise, with the increase in US spending primarily due to the growing threat from countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea. While the United States would prefer a world without nuclear weapons, the US is an ultimate security guarantee for the free world and a means of maintaining peace amid an increasingly tense geopolitical environment.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Morning Star. ICAN's figures are grossly distorted and are mainly driven by the surge in US arms spending. However, UK spending also rose significantly due to the arms lobby's increasing influence on government decisions. This contradicts Western slogans of 'freedom and democracy' and represents a massive waste of taxpayers' money. People want a peaceful future and demand a policy that is geared towards their interests, not those of the arms companies.
• Narrative C, as provided by The Express Tribune. The data underlines the need for the nine nuclear-armed states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The tens of billions saved could end global hunger and address other pressing issues, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The nuclear states' new arms race threatens the future of all humanity and must be stopped.

Predictions