Country position on nuclear weapons in China
China: Country position on nuclear weapons was 3 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Country position on nuclear weapons in China, 1938–2023
Source: Bleek (2017); Nuclear Threat Initiative (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for country position on nuclear weapons in China is 3, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 86 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, country position on nuclear weapons in China peaked at 3 in 1964 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1938.
That places China 1st out of 246 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.3 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.6 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 1970s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More energy & mining data for China
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 15.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 1.5% (2024)
- Gas production 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 1.5% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 3.4% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 59.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is country position on nuclear weapons in China?
- Country position on nuclear weapons in China was 3 in 2023, according to Bleek (2017); Nuclear Threat Initiative (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest country position on nuclear weapons recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3 in 1964.
- What is the lowest country position on nuclear weapons recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1938.
- How does China rank for country position on nuclear weapons?
- China ranks 1st out of 246 countries with data for 2023.
- Is country position on nuclear weapons rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Bleek (2017); Nuclear Threat Initiative (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Country position on nuclear weapons. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Whether a country does not consider (0), considers (1), pursues (2), or possesses (3) nuclear weapons.