Global spending on nuclear weapons is set to reach $82.9bn in 2022, with the United States leading the pack, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) reveals in its report. Out of this total amount, at least $29bn was generated by the private sector.
The report highlights that the United States allocated the largest sum, spending $43.7bn on nuclear weapons. Russia followed closely behind, accounting for 22% of U.S. spending with $9.6bn, while China spent $11.7bn. India experienced the most substantial surge in expenditure, witnessing a rise of 21.8%. Among the other countries, the UK recorded a double-digit increase, slightly surpassing 11%.
The report emphasizes that the ever-evolving and complex security landscape, encompassing challenges such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, along with events in Ukraine, have contributed to the steady increase in nuclear weapons spending. However, this escalation in spending has not resulted in substantial improvements in security.
The nine countries officially recognized as possessing nuclear weapons are the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.
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