India has expanded its nuclear arsenal to around 190 warheads, up from 180, surpassing Pakistan, North Korea and Israel, according to the data available in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026.
For the first time, India has kept 12 nuclear warheads deployed during peacetime, breaking with its longstanding practice of storing warheads separately from delivery systems such as ballistic missiles, according to SIPRI.
So, currently, India has 12 deployed nuclear warheads and 178 stored warheads, totalling the stockpile to 190, as of January this year. This surpasses Pakistan’s warheads, which stand at 170, and trails China’s 620.
Where Do Other Countries Stand
The world’s nuclear arsenal is concentrated among nine countries, with the United States and Russia holding the largest stockpiles by a wide margin. Together, the two countries possess the majority of the world’s nuclear weapons.
Russia is estimated to have the largest overall nuclear inventory, with around 5,420 nuclear warheads. Its military stockpile is estimated at about 4,400 warheads, of which around 1,796 are deployed. The United States follows closely, with an estimated 5,042 warheads in total, including a military stockpile of 3,700 and around 1,770 deployed weapons.
Among other major nuclear powers, France is estimated to have about 370 warheads, with around 290 in its military stockpile. The United Kingdom has an estimated 225 nuclear warheads, while China has expanded its arsenal significantly in recent years and is estimated to have around 620 warheads.
In South Asia, India is estimated to possess around 190 nuclear warheads, while Pakistan is estimated to have about 170. India’s deployed warheads are at 12. Both countries maintain nuclear arsenals primarily as a deterrent against each other.
Smaller nuclear arsenals are held by Israel and North Korea. Israel is estimated to have around 90 warheads, while North Korea is estimated to have about 60.
India Deploys 12 Nuclear Warheads In Big Policy Shift
“It has long been assumed that India stores its nuclear warheads separate from its deployed launchers during peacetime. However, the country’s recent moves towards placing missiles in canisters and conducting sea-based deterrence patrols suggest that India could be shifting in the direction of mating some of its warheads with their launchers in peacetime,” SIPRI wrote in its report.
Read | In A First, India Deploys 12 Nuclear Warheads In Big Policy Shift: Report
India has long maintained a “de-mated” nuclear posture, keeping warheads separate from missiles and aircraft in peacetime to be assembled only in a severe crisis. The SIPRI 2026 report marks a departure from that doctrine. India, alongside China, has begun occasionally mounting a small number of warheads directly onto missiles during peacetime.
According to the report, China has deployed 34 nuclear warheads this year, compared to 24 in 2024.
However, India’s nuclear modernisation drive is shifting toward longer-range weapons able to strike targets across China. The deployed nuclear warheads enhance deterrence credibility against both China and Pakistan.
