Nuclear weapons of North Korea
An estimated 60 warheads, delivered by sea, land forces.
Overview
North Korea has assembled an estimated 60 warheads and holds fissile material for perhaps 30 more, produced at Yongbyon and at least one other enrichment site. It withdrew from the NPT in 2003 — the only state ever to do so — and has conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, the last a claimed thermonuclear device. Its 2023 constitutional amendment enshrines the nuclear arsenal as permanent, and official doctrine allows first use.
Delivery development has been rapid: the liquid-fueled Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-17 and the solid-fueled Hwasong-18 and Hwasong-19 give intercontinental reach on paper, though a proven reentry capability remains debated. Shorter-range systems — KN-23-class missiles, the Hwasan-31 tactical warhead, cruise missiles — point to battlefield use, and a submarine-launched component is under development at Sinpo.
Pyongyang rejects denuclearization talks, and its deepening military alignment with Russia since 2024 has raised concerns about technology transfer. Estimates of its arsenal carry wider uncertainty than for any other nuclear-armed state.
The program keeps compounding: the Hwasong-19 solid-fuel ICBM flew in late 2024, an even larger system was paraded in 2025, and a previously undisclosed uranium-enrichment site was shown publicly in 2024. The mutual-defense treaty signed with Russia in 2024 raised technology-transfer concerns in both directions. Pyongyang's stated course — exponential warhead growth and tactical weapons for battlefield units — continues without any negotiating track.
Delivery systems
| Non-Proliferation Treaty | Withdrew 2003 |
| Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) | Not signed |
| Prohibition Treaty (TPNW) | Not party |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nuclear weapons does North Korea have?
North Korea is estimated to hold 60 nuclear warheads in its total inventory, with none of them believed permanently deployed. The figure is an estimate from the Federation of American Scientists — no current official count exists.
When did North Korea first test a nuclear weapon?
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006.
What delivery systems does North Korea use?
The arsenal is delivered by sea, land vectors, including Hwasong-17, Hwasong-15, Hwasong-12, Sinpo. Each system is documented in the equipment database linked on this page.
Is the arsenal of North Korea growing?
See the stockpile history chart on this page: it tracks the estimated warhead count year by year since the first weapons were fielded, based on the FAS series published through Our World in Data.
- AUG 112026 Updated Yearly statistics and warhead inventory updated across 2 entries
- MAR 172026 Updated Nuclear overview updated
- JAN 202026 Updated Nuclear overview updated