India
never joined NPT civil nuclear programme
Estimated total
190
warheads · 2026-01
India is estimated to hold 190 nuclear warheads, about 2% of the world total, of which roughly 190 are in its military stockpile. All figures are open-source estimates as of 2026-01.
India's 1974 test, described at the time as a "peaceful nuclear explosion", used plutonium from a research reactor supplied by Canada under peaceful-use conditions. The international response created the Nuclear Suppliers Group and cut India off from nuclear trade for three decades, which is why India built an entirely domestic fuel chain around heavy water reactors that need no enrichment.
Estimated inventory · 2026-01
| Deployed strategic | none deployed |
|---|---|
| Deployed non-strategic | none reported |
| Reserve / non-deployed | 178 |
| Military stockpile | 190 |
| Total inventory | 190 incl. retired |
| Share of world total | 1.6% |
Programme
| First test | 1974-05-18 |
|---|---|
| NPT status | never joined NPT |
| Publicly declared | Yes |
| Fissile material route | Primarily plutonium |
| Civil programme | Reactors in India |
Nuclear-powered vessels
Naval propulsion is the largest use of highly enriched uranium outside weapons programmes.
| Programme | Type | Fuel enrichment |
|---|---|---|
| Arihant class | submarine | HEU |
Other armed states
| Country | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| Russia | 5,420 |
| United States | 5,042 |
| China | 620 |
| France | 370 |
| United Kingdom | 225 |
| Pakistan | 170 |
| Israel | 90 |
| North Korea | 60 |