The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that "India has a larger nuclear arsenal than Pakistan." According to the report, as of January 2024, India had 172 nuclear warheads while Pakistan had 170. The report further elaborated that "China increased its arsenal from 410 nuclear warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, with this increase expected to continue."
The report states that India, Pakistan, and North Korea are striving to create the capability to mount nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles, noting that such technologies are currently only available to Russia, France, Britain, the United States, and China. The report continues: "While Pakistan remains a focal point of India's nuclear deterrence program, India appears to be increasingly focusing on long-range weapons."
In a previous report, SIPRI noted an increase in the number of nuclear warheads ready for combat worldwide. According to the report, of the 12,121 nuclear warheads globally as of January 2024, approximately 9,585 were in a state of combat readiness. About 3,904 of these were deployed on missiles or aircraft, an increase of 60 nuclear warheads compared to January 2023.
