NEW DELHI, June 8 — India slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2025 and continued developing new nuclear delivery systems, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026 released Monday.
The report estimates that India’s nuclear stockpile grew to approximately 190 warheads by early 2026, widening its lead over neighboring Pakistan, whose arsenal is estimated to remain smaller but continues to expand through the accumulation of fissile material and the development of new delivery systems.
SIPRI said India’s nuclear modernization program is increasingly focused on developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China, while continuing to address its longstanding strategic rivalry with Pakistan.
The report described Operation Sindoor and the India-Pakistan military confrontation in May 2025 as “an unusually severe military crisis” between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
According to SIPRI, India struck Pakistani air and missile bases that were likely connected to nuclear-related roles during the conflict. However, the institute noted that both countries took steps to prevent further escalation.
The report also highlighted that India and Pakistan incorporated cyber operations into active military conflict for the first time during the crisis, underscoring the evolving nature of deterrence and modern warfare.
India retained its position as the world’s fifth-largest military spender in 2025, with defense expenditures reaching $92.1 billion, an increase of 8.9% from the previous year. Only the United States, China, Russia, and Germany spent more on defense.
SIPRI also identified India as the world’s second-largest importer of major arms during the 2021–25 period. India accounted for 8.2% of global arms imports, trailing only Ukraine among recipient nations.
The institute said 162 countries imported major arms during the period, with Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan accounting for 35% of total imports worldwide.
The report noted that the world’s nine nuclear-armed states — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel — are increasingly relying on nuclear weapons as instruments of national power, reversing decades of efforts aimed at reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons.
As of January 2026, the nine nuclear powers collectively possessed an estimated 12,187 nuclear warheads. Of those, approximately 9,745 were held in military stockpiles and considered potentially available for use.
SIPRI estimated that around 4,012 warheads were deployed with operational forces, while between 2,100 and 2,200 warheads were maintained on high operational alert aboard ballistic missiles.
“Overall, the number of nuclear warheads in the world continues to decline, but this is only due to the USA and Russia dismantling retired warheads,” SIPRI said. The institute added that the pace of dismantling retired warheads appears to be slowing and may soon be overtaken by the rate at which new warheads enter global stockpiles.
The United States and Russia continue to possess nearly 86% of the world’s nuclear weapons and are both pursuing extensive modernization programs.
China is also rapidly expanding its arsenal. SIPRI estimated that China’s nuclear stockpile increased from approximately 600 to as many as 620 warheads during 2025.
The report noted that nuclear weapons rely on fissile materials such as highly enriched uranium or separated plutonium. India and Israel have primarily produced plutonium for their nuclear weapons programs.
SIPRI also highlighted the growing proliferation of submarine-based nuclear delivery systems, particularly among the four nuclear-armed states in the Indo-Pacific region.
Beyond nuclear developments, the report said the number of interstate armed conflicts doubled from three in 2024 to six in 2025. The conflicts involved at least 13 countries and included Afghanistan-Pakistan, Cambodia-Thailand, India-Pakistan, Iran-Israel/United States, Russia/North Korea-Ukraine, and Congo-Rwanda.
In his introduction to the report, SIPRI Director Karim Haggag said the global strategic environment has been fundamentally reshaped over the past decade.
“The most recent decade has fundamentally altered the strategic environment,” Haggag wrote. “The distinguishing feature of this current phase of great power competition relates to two overarching drivers: the resurgence of large-scale interstate war between technologically advanced states and the erosion of the United States’ alliance frameworks.”
The report added that the security environment across Asia and Oceania in 2025 continued to be shaped by intensifying strategic competition between China and the United States.
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