Overview
- SIPRI’s Yearbook, released on Monday, June 8, 2026, estimates India’s warhead total at about 190 and says roughly 12 warheads may now be deployed in peacetime on a ballistic‑missile submarine and canisterised missiles.
- Pakistan’s stockpile is assessed at about 170 warheads as of January 2026 but the report says Islamabad continued to expand delivery systems and accumulate fissile material, making future growth likely.
- China is reported to be expanding fastest, to roughly 620 warheads, and US Department of Defense assessments cited by SIPRI suggest China may sometimes place warheads on mobile missiles during exercises.
- SIPRI highlights advances in delivery systems and MIRV technology, meaning single missiles can carry multiple independently targetable warheads, which raises the speed and complexity of any attack or response.
- The Yearbook warns that nine nuclear states are modernising arsenals, that recent conventional crises between India and Pakistan included cyber operations, and that reduced transparency and weaker arms‑control measures increase the risk of miscalculation.