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The latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2025 was released recently. The report warns of a fresh nuclear arms race at a time when global arms control is at its "weakest" in decades.

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• According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2025, India holds 180 (earlier 172 in 2024) nuclear warheads more than Pakistan’s 170, but less than China’s 600, with 24 of China’s warheads deployed as of January 2025.
• India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems. 
• Pakistan continued developing delivery systems and stockpiling fissile material in 2024, indicating possible nuclear arsenal growth in the next decade.
• The report states that Russia and the US hold the largest nuclear stockpiles, with 5,459 and 5,177 warheads respectively, including retired ones.
• From 2020–24, 162 states imported major arms, with Ukraine, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan making up 35% of total imports.
• At the start of 2025, nine states - the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Israel together possessed approximately 12241 nuclear weapons, of which 9614 were considered to be potentially operationally available.
• Russia, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea deploy dual-capable missiles and all are believed to be modernizing these capabilities.

About the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

• It is an independent international institute dedicated to research on issues related to conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament.
• SIPRI was established in 1966 and it provides data, analysis, and recommendations based on open sources.
• SIPRI's publications, such as the SIPRI Yearbook, are highly respected resources for policymakers and scholars globally. 
• Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden.
• Funding: It receives funding from the Swedish government and various other organizations.