In 2023, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States spent a total of $91.4 billion on their nuclear weapons, which equates to $173,884 per minute, or $2,898 per second. Drawing an up-to-date picture is the fifth edition of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican) report on global spending on nuclear weapons, according to which the United States' share of total spending, $51.5 billion, is higher than that of all other nuclear-weapon countries combined and accounts for 80% of the increase in nuclear weapons spending in 2023. This is followed by China's $11.8 billion spending, while Russia is in third place with $8.3 billion. UK spending increased significantly for the second year in a row, up 17% to $8.1 billion.

"In the last five years," reads a note released by the Italian Peace and Disarmament Network on the Ican data, "$387 billion has been spent on nuclear weapons, with an increase in spending recorded annually of a robust 34% over the same period: from $68.2 billion to $91.4 billion per year. This has occurred as all nine nuclear-weapon states continue to modernise, and in some cases expand, their arsenals.”

Alicia Sanders-Zakre, of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, co-author of the report, points out that "the acceleration of spending on these inhumane and destructive weapons over the past five years is not improving global security, but poses a global threat.”

Who benefits from this surge in nuclear spending? Globally, nuclear-weapon states have ongoing contracts with companies for the production of nuclear weapons with a total value of at least $387 billion, the note continues. In some cases, these contracts extend until 2040. In 2023, companies involved in nuclear weapons production were able to sign new contracts worth just under $7.9 billion. In the US and France alone (the countries for which data can be obtained) these companies spent $118 million on lobbying. "These large profits incentivise nuclear weapons manufacturers to spend millions - at least $6.3 million in 2023 - to influence government policy and public attitudes towards nuclear weapons through support for think tanks," the note continues. "In 2023, at least $123 million was spent to hire more than 540 lobbyists and fund the major think tanks that influence the nuclear debate.”

The 'opportunity cost' of nuclear weapons.

The billions of dollars squandered each year on nuclear weapons represent an unacceptable misallocation of public funds, the note further states. "A total of $91.4 billion a year could install wind power for more than twelve million homes and thus help fight climate change, or even cover 27 per cent of the shortfall in funds to fight climate change itself, protect biodiversity and reduce pollution. With just one minute of nuclear weapons spending in 2023, one million trees could have been planted. Five years of nuclear weapons spending could have fed 45 million people, who are currently at risk of starvation, for most of their lives”.

For these reasons, the Ican has called for a global week of action from 16 to 22 September 2024: a mobilisation that will take place just as countries around the world come together to find solutions to the greatest global challenges of our time. The initiatives of the week of mobilisation will be relaunched in our country by the 'Italia, ripensaci' campaign (promoted by the Italian Peace and Disarmament Network and Senzatomica), which for years has been promoting initiatives to ensure that the desire for nuclear disarmament, which is well rooted in the majority of Italians, is taken into account by political decision-makers.

See, Cresce la spesa per le armi nucleari: nel 2023 raggiunti 91,4 miliardi di dollari