According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as of January 2024, India has a larger nuclear arsenal compared to Pakistan. Meanwhile, China has significantly increased its nuclear stockpile from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 warheads by January 2024.
The SIPRI report highlights that China’s nuclear arsenal saw a notable expansion, projecting continued growth in the future. Among the nine nuclear-armed nations analyzed in the report—US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel—all continued to modernize their nuclear capabilities. In 2023, several of these nations deployed new nuclear-capable systems.
Specifically, India maintained 172 “stored” nuclear warheads as of January 2024, while Pakistan possessed 170. India also expanded its nuclear capabilities in 2023, focusing on developing new types of nuclear delivery systems. SIPRI noted that India’s nuclear strategy seems increasingly oriented towards longer-range weapons, potentially capable of reaching targets across China.
The report further details that approximately 2,100 of the deployed nuclear warheads worldwide are maintained at high operational alert, primarily by Russia and the US. However, SIPRI highlighted that China has also begun deploying warheads under high operational alert status.
Overall, Russia and the US still hold the vast majority of the world’s nuclear weapons, with Russia reportedly increasing its operational warheads by 36 compared to January 2023. Despite China’s growth, its nuclear stockpile remains considerably smaller than those of Russia and the US, as per SIPRI’s assessments.
