Country position on nuclear weapons in United States
United States: Country position on nuclear weapons was 3 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Country position on nuclear weapons in United States, 1938–2023
Source: Bleek (2017); Nuclear Threat Initiative (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 3 for country position on nuclear weapons 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 United States peaked at 3 in 1945 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1938.
United States 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 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.3 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 1950s | 3 | 3 | 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 States
More energy & mining data for United States
- Fuel imports 7.5% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 2.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 2.9% (2024)
- Gas production 10,737 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 30,919 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 10,737 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 30,919 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 18.3% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 5.3% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 45.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is country position on nuclear weapons in United States?
- Country position on nuclear weapons in United States 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 States?
- The highest recorded value was 3 in 1945.
- What is the lowest country position on nuclear weapons recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1938.
- How does United States rank for country position on nuclear weapons?
- United States ranks 1st out of 246 countries with data for 2023.
- Is country position on nuclear weapons rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.