At a time of rising geopolitical tension, the number of operational nuclear weapons is also increasing, as per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
There are now 86 more nuclear warheads in the military arsenals of major powers, as compared to a year ago.
Around 60 of the 86 new warheads are held by China, while Russia has 12. Pakistan has 5, North Korea 5, and India 4 of the increased nuclear weapons, the institute said.
There are now a total of 12,512 nuclear warheads around the world, of which 9,576 are ready for potential use, as per estimates.