| Rank | Country | Total Warheads | Deployed Warheads | High Operational Alert | No First Use Policy | NPT Signatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Russia |
5889 | 1710 | Yes (~1,050) | No | Yes |
| 2 |  United States |
5244 | 1770 | Yes (~1,050) | No | Yes |
| 3 |  China |
500 | 24 | Yes (first time) | Yes | Yes |
| 4 |  France |
290 | 280 | No | No | Yes |
| 5 |  United Kingdom |
225 | 120 | No | No | Yes |
| 6 |  Pakistan |
175 | 0 | No | No | No |
| 7 |  India |
172 | 0 | No | Yes (conditional) | No |
| 8 |  Israel |
90 | 0 | No | No (undeclared) | No |
| 9 |  North Korea |
50 | 0 | No | No | No (withdrew) |
In the Ranking List of Top Nuclear Countries in 2025, 9 countries possess nuclear weapons: the U.S., Russia, China, France, the UK, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel (undeclared but widely recognized). Of these, only five (U.S., Russia, China, France, UK) are officially recognized as nuclear-weapon states under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signed by 191 countries, making it one of the most widely adhered-to arms control agreements. The US was the first to use it on Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 since then an arms race that could wipe out humanity has begun. Nowadays, this number has reached a staggering 12,635, but at its peak time it was 70,300, out of which the soviet union held the largest share of 40,000
"Dead Hand" (also known as Perimeter) is a Cold War-era Soviet nuclear retaliatory system designed to ensure a second-strike capability even if the country's leadership were destroyed in a nuclear attack this Doctrine deterred USA from launching a direct attack against Soviet or Russia.
After the Cold War, a new Nuclear Flashpoint came into being that is between India and Pakistan, and their Dispute over Kashmir is of Great concern. Recently, in 2025, crises between Pakistan and India after India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan Launched Operation Bunyanun Marsoos, which was a direct strike towards indian Military Installments, and India was deterred by Pakistan's First Use Policy in escalating the Situation , and a ceasefire took place
Regarding nuclear weapons policy, “first-use” or “first-strike” refers to a nation’s willingness to use nuclear weapons preemptively. As of now:
- India and China have declared “no first use” (NFU) policies.
- The U.S., Russia, France, UK, Pakistan, and North Korea retain first-use options.
- Israel has not officially declared a policy.
NPT Status Summary:
- 191 total signatories
- Recognized nuclear states (5)
- Non-signatories (India, Pakistan, Israel)
- North Korea signed but withdrew in 2003
- Recognized nuclear states (5)
Sources
- https://www.icanw.org/nuclear_arsenals
- https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/nuclear/npt/
- https://fas.org/initiative/status-world-nuclear-forces/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/10/pakistan-launches-operation-bunyan-marsoos-what-we-know-so-far
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_first_use