The researchers warn that the nuclear arsenals of a number of countries, especially China, increased last year, while other nuclear powers continued to upgrade what they have amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
“We are approaching or may have already come to the end of a long period of nuclear arms reduction around the world,” said Dan Smith, director of the International Peace Research Institute in Stockholm.
Smith added: “The reserve consists of usable nuclear warheads, and these numbers have begun to increase,” while noting that the numbers are still far from the eighties of the last century (over 70,000).
Most of the increase comes from China, which has increased its arsenal from 350 to 410 nuclear warheads. According to Smith, he invested heavily in his military as his economy and influence grew.
India, Pakistan and North Korea have also increased their stockpiles, as has Russia, while other nuclear powers have maintained theirs.
According to Smith, this increase in stocks cannot be related to the war in Ukraine, given that it took a long time to develop nuclear warheads.
Source: AFP.