The US had 3,748 nuclear warheads in its stockpile as of September 2023, according to a new document released by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
The newly released document reveals that the United States possessed 3,748 nuclear warheads in its stockpile as of September 2023.
The NNSA fact sheet, released on Friday, indicates that the size of the stockpile has remained relatively consistent compared to 2021, when the previous document of this type was made public. The US reported having 3,750 warheads in September 2020. These statistics encompass both active and inactive warheads but exclude retired ones.
The agency highlights that between 1994 and 2023, the US dismantled 12,088 nuclear warheads, including 405 dismantled between 2020 and 2023. “Approximately 2,000 additional nuclear warheads are currently retired and awaiting dismantlement.”
The NNSA emphasizes that the current number represents a significant decrease from 1967, when the stockpile peaked at 31,255 warheads.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as of 2024, the US remains the second-largest nuclear power in the world, with a total inventory of 5,044 warheads. Russia holds the largest stockpile with 5,580 warheads, according to SIPRI data.
The number of American nuclear warheads began to steadily decline during the peak of the Cold War as Washington and Moscow engaged in productive arms control negotiations. While dialogue has stalled as US-Russia relations have deteriorated, partly due to the Ukraine conflict, the two powers remain committed to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which limits deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each.
However, a SIPRI report published in June cautioned that the world is in “one of the most dangerous periods in human history,” as global powers continue to expand and modernize their atomic arsenals. The researchers noted that tensions surrounding Ukraine and Gaza have played a significant role in weakening global nuclear diplomacy.