Transparency in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Stockpile

The United States is releasing newly declassified information on the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile to update the information previously released in October 2021. Increasing the transparency of states’ nuclear stockpiles is important to nonproliferation and disarmament efforts, including commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and efforts to address all types of nuclear weapons, including deployed and non-deployed, and strategic and non-strategic.

 

Click below to download NNSA's factsheet: 

Blue line graph depicting U.S. Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, 1945-2023. There are data points calling out key moments along the timeline, which include: Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and End of Cold War (1989) as well as Max Warheads (31,255) and Total Warheads as of 2023 (3,748).

Stockpile

As of September 2023, the U.S. stockpile of nuclear warheads consisted of 3,748 warheads. This number represents an 88 percent reduction in the stockpile from its maximum (31, 255) at the end of fiscal year 1967, and an 83 percent decrease from its level (22,217) when the Berlin Wall fell in late 1989. The figure above shows the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile from 1945 through September 30, 2023.

Warhead Dismantlement

From fiscal years 1994 through 2023, the United States dismantled 12,088 nuclear warheads. Since September 30, 2020, the United States has dismantled 405 nuclear warheads. Approximately 2,000 additional nuclear warheads are currently retired and awaiting dismantlement.

Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons

The number of U.S. non-strategic nuclear weapons has declined by more than 90 percent since September 30, 1991.*

*During the Cold War, the United States possessed large numbers and a wide range of non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as theater or tactical nuclear weapons. Since 1991, the United States has retired and dismantled nearly all of those weapons. Note, non-strategic nuclear weapons are non-accountable systems under the New START Treaty.

Stockpile Numbers – End of Fiscal Years 1962-2023*

Data prior to 1962 released by Department of Energy in December 1993

196225,540199311,511
196328,133199410,979
196429,463199510,904
196531,139199611,011
196631,175199710,903
196731,255199810,732
196829,561199910,685
196927,552200010,577
197026,008200110,526
197125,830200210,457
197226,516200310,027
197327,83520048,570
197428,53720058,360
197527,51920067,853
197625,91420075,709
197725,54220085,273
197824,41820095,113
197924,13820105,066
198024,10420114,897
198123,20820124,881
198222,88620134,804
198323,30520144,717
198423,45920154,571
198523,36820164,018
198623,31720173,822
198723,57520183,785
198823,20520193,805
198922,21720203,750
199021,39220213,713
199119,00820223,768
199213,70820233,748

*Does not include weapons retired and awaiting dismantlement

Department of Energy Weapon Dismantlements

(Fiscal Year 1994 – 2023)

19941,3692009356
19951,3932010352
19961,0642011305
19974982012308
19981,0622013239
19992062014299
20001582015109
20011442016258
20023442017354
20032222018243
20042062019284
20052802020184
20062532021214
20075452022122
2008648202369

Total Dismantlements

12,088

Definitions

The nuclear stockpile includes both active and inactive warheads. Active warheads include strategic and non-strategic weapons maintained in an operational, ready-for-use configuration, warheads that must be ready for possible deployment within a short timeframe, and logistics spares. They have tritium bottles and other Limited Life Components installed. Inactive warheads are maintained at a depot in a non-operational status and have their tritium bottles removed. A retired warhead is removed from its delivery platform, is not functional, and is not considered part of the nuclear stockpile. A dismantled warhead is a warhead reduced to its component parts.