India’s Nuclear Stockpile Dwarfed by China, Pakistan

India is believed to possess 150 nuclear warheads, less than half of China’s 320-strong weapons stockpile.

According to a report published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on June 15, both India and China increased their nuclear arsenals in 2019. A year earlier, the number of warheads in possession with the two countries stood at 130-140 and 290 respectively.

China now publicly displays its nuclear forces more frequently than in the past but releases little information about force numbers or future development plans.

Pakistan added no nuclear weapons to its stockpile last year and the number stood at 160.

The governments of India and Pakistan make statements about some of their missile tests but provide no information about the status or size of their arsenals, the report noted.

Israel enriched its nuclear arsenal by adding 10 warheads, taking the total to 90. However, the report added that Israel has a long-standing policy of not commenting on its nuclear arsenal.

At the start of 2020, nine states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea—possessed approximately 13,400 nuclear weapons, of which 3,720 were deployed with operational forces. This marked a decrease from the 13,865 nuclear weapons that SIPRI estimated these states possessed at the beginning of 2019.

According to the report, the US tops the table with 5,800 warheads, followed by Russia with 6,375 and the UK with 215 warheads. The figures have been updated till January 2020.