Country position on nuclear weapons in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Country position on nuclear weapons was 3 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Country position on nuclear weapons in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom is 3, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 86 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, country position on nuclear weapons in United Kingdom peaked at 3 in 1952 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1938.
United Kingdom ranks 1st of 246 countries on this measure, 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 | 1.9 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.8 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 1960s | 3 | 3 | 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 United Kingdom
More energy & mining data for United Kingdom
- Fuel imports 8.2% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 3.3% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 5.7% (2025)
- Gas production 299.32 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 4,304 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 299.32 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 4,304 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 7.1% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 9.9% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 49.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is country position on nuclear weapons in United Kingdom?
- Country position on nuclear weapons in United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 3 in 1952.
- What is the lowest country position on nuclear weapons recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1938.
- How does United Kingdom rank for country position on nuclear weapons?
- United Kingdom ranks 1st out of 246 countries with data for 2023.
- Is country position on nuclear weapons rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.