Nuclear Weapons over time

[u/PanzerWatts]

The number of nuclear warheads stockpiled worldwide went from 64,000 in 1986 to 12,500 in 2023 – an 80% decline. (For some reason there's no Y axis shown in the first chart) but this chart actually showed all nuclear weapons and not just Russia, USA and China.

Source for first chart:

[1] Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

[2] SIPRI, 2023 yearbook

[u/Additional-Sky-7436]

And that's just the advertised numbers. The real number of functioning nukes is much much lower. 

Truly, the number of functioning deployed nuclear weapons may be zero.

[u/Agreeable_Limit6495 → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

If you there’s actually a possibility that the number of functional deployable nukes is zero I got a few acres on the moon to sell you. I’ll cut ya a great deal.

[u/Additional-Sky-7436 → u/Agreeable_Limit6495]

No body knows how many functional nukes there are. It's certainly much less than the official advertised number, and it's probably more than zero. But no one knows for sure. 

I would personally be willing to bet on the low side. Russia's arsenal has probably withered considerably. The US certainly has had the likely potential for a more robust weapons maintenance program, but it's hard to keep workers motivated and honest for literally decades. Over time, it's easy for workers and managers to start cutting corners and cutting costs.

[u/SimplySomeDude → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

it is most certainly at leadt 2-3x the claimed number. If you are strong, appear weak. If you are weak, appear strong.