Get the Facts

Every year, an exorbitant sum exceeding $80 billion is funnelled into the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons by the nine nuclear-armed countries. These countries, combined, are spending tremendous resources on nuclear warheads and the missiles and bombs used to deliver them. This is a staggering misallocation of resources towards instruments of mass destruction.

How much do they spend?

In 2022, these nine countries spent $82.9 billion on nuclear weapons, of which the private sector earned at least $29 billion. 

These numbers are so large that it can be hard to wrap our head around them, even when we break them down by minute: 

The United States: $43.7 billion, $83,143/ minute 
China: $11.7 billion, $22,219/ minute
Russia: $9.6 billion, $18,228/ minute
The United Kingdom: $6.8 billion, $12,975/ minute 
France: $5.6 billion, $10,603/ minute
India: $2.7 billion, $5,181/ minute
Israel: $1.2 billion, $2,226/ minute
Pakistan: $1 billion, $1,967/ minute
North Korea: $589 million, $1,221/ minute

2022 TOTAL: $82.9 billion, $157,664 per minute, more than 12,500 nuclear weapons.

Read the report

What companies are involved?

Globally, nuclear-armed countries have contracts with companies to produce nuclear weapons totalling at least $278.6 billion continuing in some cases through 2040. Northrop Grumman continues to have the most money in ongoing contracts to produce nuclear weapons, at $81.7 billion. When shareholders raised concerns about the company’s lobbying efforts to prevent the exploration of alternatives to nuclear weapons, they were told plainly that these lobby efforts are good for business.

The companies behind the bomb

Watch Susi & Alejandra talk about those who profit from nuclear weapon production: 

How do they buy influence?

The companies that get contracts for nuclear weapons production then fund think tanks that research and write about nuclear weapons policies. The CEOs and board members of companies that produce nuclear weapons sit on some think tank advisory boards, serve as trustees or are listed as “partners” on their websites. Those companies continued to buy influence in the nuclear weapons debate by hiring lobbyists to sway decision makers that the only option is to go nuclear.

As companies throw money at lobbyists and researchers to assert the continued relevance and value of nuclear weapons, the record shows the inutility of weapons of mass destruction to address modern security challenges — and the legitimate fear, backed by peer-reviewed scientific evidence, that they can end global civilisation as we know it.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the multilateral response to the irresponsible behaviour of all nuclear-armed states to pour money down their nuclear weapons drains. It is the normative barricade against threats to use nuclear weapons. All countries should join this landmark international instrument to prohibit the development and maintenance of nuclear weapons and prevent their eventual use by ensuring their elimination.