The Disturbing Nuclear Map of 2025: China Accelerates, India Rearms, and the World Nears the Brink
The Doomsday Clock is now set at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to nuclear devastation in its 78-year history. Despite the end of the Cold War, the shadow of atomic weapons still looms large. In 2025, the world sees old giants stepping back as new powers emerge.
### U.S. and Russia, still the giants
The United States and Russia continue to dominate, albeit in steady decline. Recent months have seen Washington deactivate eight nuclear warheads and Moscow 71. Both still maintain around 2,000 strategically deployed warheads, ready for use in case of conflict.
### The unstoppable rise of China
In 2024, China had 500 nuclear warheads; now, in just a year, it has increased to 600. This 20% rise reflects a clear policy of rearmament that unsettles both rivals and allies.
Although only about thirty of these warheads are strategically deployed, Beijing has secured a central seat at the global nuclear table. Furthermore, its military investment extends to other areas: aircraft carriers with electromagnetic catapults, next-generation fighters, and stealth technology. The message is clear: China aims to consolidate its strategic power.
### India also accelerates
India has also increased its arsenal by eight warheads in just a few months, reaching a total of 180. None of them are strategically deployed yet, but the growth comes amidst growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, where clashes of interests with China are becoming more frequent.
With Pakistan and North Korea also in the mix, the region is shaping up to be one of the most volatile on the planet. The uncertainty surrounding Pyongyang’s actual number of warheads adds even more unease.
The current nuclear landscape goes beyond mere warhead counts. The future is marked by the expiration of the START III treaty, from which Moscow withdrew in 2022. Meanwhile, China promotes “no first use” agreements that contrast with its rapid military expansion.
The nuclear map of 2025 reflects a world where old balances erode and new powers seek their place. Deterrence still works, but each new warhead added brings the symbolic clock closer to the point of no return.
