Russia and United States Retreat from Nuclear Security as 12 Countries Step Up, 2026 NTI Nuclear Security Index Finds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 – The 2026 NTI Nuclear Security Index reveals an alarming deterioration in nuclear security conditions in Russia and the United States, the countries that bear the greatest responsibility for global nuclear security as custodians of the vast majority of the world’s weapons-usable nuclear materials.

“The data point to a historic lapse in nuclear security leadership in these countries at a moment when nuclear dangers are rising,” Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) President and CEO Christine E. Wormuth said.

The seventh edition of the NTI Index, developed with Economist Enterprise, finds Russia’s suspension of crucial international cooperation and production of additional weapons-usable materials are the most significant drivers of its score decline. The United States has also suspended international cooperation, but the biggest driver of its reduced score—the largest ever for any country or area between editions of the NTI Index—is the erosion of the independence of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The NTI Index also finds:

• Stockpiles of plutonium growing in several countries, including France, India, and Russia. This increase is largely driven by spent fuel reprocessing operations that rapidly accumulate this weapons-usable nuclear material and create significant and unnecessary risks for global nuclear security.
• Quantities of weapons-usable highly enriched uranium on the rise in Belgium, Germany, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia, even as the global total slowly shrinks.
• Most countries and areas with weapons-usable nuclear materials and nuclear facilities have made little progress in adopting fundamental nuclear security practices, and they continue to rely on insufficient personnel-related security measures and cybersecurity requirements.

Amid concerning evidence of stagnation and backsliding, 2026 NTI Index did find a genuine bright spot. Twelve countries—Australia, Canada, Finland, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Jordan, the Netherlands, Senegal, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom—have stepped forward as a new driving force for global nuclear security progress by sustaining domestic improvements, supporting other governments, and deepening engagement with international institutions.

“Their example affirms that all governments can—and must—contribute to strengthening global nuclear security,” Wormuth said. “When governments choose to engage, the international frameworks underpinning nuclear security can still work.”

The NTI Index provides countries and areas with an agenda for action to usher in a new era of nuclear security leadership: specific recommendations tied to the data that governments can implement to close the gaps identified. Selected recommendations from this year’s report include:

• The United States and Russia should urgently reverse the alarming decline in their nuclear security conditions, and the United States should reclaim its role as a global nuclear security leader.
• The countries that have emerged as the new driving force on global nuclear security should build on their recent strides with unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral efforts that consolidate their progress into a new era of enduring leadership.
• Countries and areas with weapons-usable nuclear materials or nuclear facilities should minimize quantities of weapons-usable materials by permanently disposing of spent nuclear fuel instead of reprocessing it.
• Countries and areas with weapons-usable nuclear materials or nuclear facilities should strengthen personnel-related security measures that, in most countries, are currently weak or negligible.
• Countries and areas with weapons-usable nuclear materials or nuclear facilities should strengthen regulatory bodies and technical institutions to protect against evolving threats.
• All countries should use the 2027 Review Conference of the Amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material to encourage broader ratification of the treaty and strengthen its implementation.

Visit the NTI Index website for more recommendations and information about country and area scores.

About the NTI Index

Developed in partnership with Economist Enterprise and now in its seventh edition, the NTI Index is internationally recognized as the only independent, transparent assessment of global nuclear security conditions, tracking progress across 175 countries and Taiwan. Learn more at www.ntiindex.org.

About NTI

NTI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization focused on reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats imperiling humanity. Sam Nunn serves as founding chair of the organization, and Christine E. Wormuth serves as president and chief executive officer. Visit NTI at www.nti.org.

About Economist Enterprise

Economist Enterprise is the arm of The Economist Group that provides services to businesses, government agencies and financial institutions. Its work is grounded in The Economist Group’s values of independence, integrity and progress. Economist Enterprise gives organisations the tools to make better decisions, take confident action and demonstrate leadership on a global stage.

Media Contact

Cathy Gwin, Senior Director, Communications; [email protected], 202-270-5942