A Guide to the World’s
Fissile Material Inventory

INTRODUCTION
The World’s Fissile Material Inventory
Poster & Guide

2020.6“The World’s Fissile Material Inventory” poster is
an illustration of the materials which can be used
for nuclear weapons (namely highly enricheduranium and separated plutonium), with theinformation organized by country and by purpose
for easier understanding. This poster was madeby the Nagasaki Council for Nuclear WeaponsAbolition (PCU-NC) and the Research Center for
Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University(RECNA) for all audiences, from elementary
school students to adults. As part of the peaceeducation efforts carried out every August at
Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s Atomic BombMemorials, we present annual updates on thelatest information every June.
The detailed data of this poster, which was compiledby the Fissile Material Data Monitoring Team, including
RECNA staff, has been published on our website(http://www.recna.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/recna/en-fmdata).

Please see the website for further details. We
hope this guide will aid those using the poster inunderstanding background information andterminology in simple, plain terms. It should beespecially useful in the education field, particularlyin schools.

June 2020
PCU Nagasaki Council for Nuclear WeaponsAbolition (PCU-NC)
Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition,Nagasaki University (RECNA)CONTACTPCU Nagasaki Council for
Nuclear Weapons Abolition (PCU-NC)
1-14, Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521
TEL: +81-95-819-2252 FAX: +81-95-819-2165
http://www.recna.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/recna/pcu-nagasaki-council

109,060
PCU Nagasaki Council for
Nuclear Weapons Abolition (PCU-NC)
Research Center for Nuclear WeaponsAbolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA)

Nuclear Weapons and Fissile Materials

Separated Plutonium around the World

Highly Enriched Uranium around the World

as of the end of 2018
Neutron generator

COUNTRYPrimary(trigger)

Chemical explosive
PlutoniumBeryllium

SecondaryHighly Enriched Uranium(HEU)
Lithium deuteride(fusion fuel)Highly Enriched Uranium(HEU)

RussiaUnited States
FranceChina

United KingdomIsrael

Deuterium-tritium gas

Foam

Depleted uranium casePakistan
India

North Korea
Conceptual diagram of a typical nuclear warhead
Source: Frank von Hippel, et al. “Unmaking the Bomb,”
MIT Press, 2014, p. 40 (with some modifications)
There are two types of nuclear weapons: an atomic bomb
(A-bomb), which uses nuclear fission reactions to releaseenergy, and a hydrogen bomb (H-bomb), also known as athermonuclear weapon, which uses nuclear fission andfusion reactions. An atomic bomb releases an amount ofenergy equivalent to one kiloton of TNT, whereas a hydrogen bomb releases an amount of energy equivalent to a
megaton of TNT.
The figure above is a conceptual diagram of a typical
nuclear warhead. Nuclear fusion reactions are triggeredby the energy from the plutonium bomb, and highly
enriched uranium is used to sustain this reaction efficiently. The model shown in the figure is based on the designof a W-87 nuclear warhead of a U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which has an estimated yield of about 300
kilotons.
Modern nuclear weapons usually contain both highly
enriched uranium and plutonium. These fissile materials
are acquired through either uranium enrichment facilities
or reprocessing facilities and technologies.

Japan（㌧）use (tons)
Military use (tons) 非軍事用
Non-military

88.0
38.4
6.0
2.9
3.2
0.92
0.37
7.10
0.04

101.349.3
67.7
0.04
115.8

Total

150 ＊3

COUNTRY
RussiaUnited States
FranceChina

United Kingdom
Israel

0.4

＊1
Other
non-nuclear weapon states

Subtotal

as of the end of 2018

530

45.7
1.9
380 ＊3＊3.The stockpile of fissile materials includes estimated ones with large

uncertainties and thus total quantities are expressed in rounded numbers.

Non-separated plutonium that remains in spent nuclear fuel is
not included. Estimates for military plutonium except those for
the U.S. and U.K. contain large uncertainties. It is estimatedthat the Nagasaki bomb contained 6 kg of plutonium.
＊1.Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany, etc.

All of the five major nuclear powers have closed their military reprocessing facilities. However, India, Pakistan, Israel,and North Korea have small-scale military reprocessing
facilities.
Three nuclear powers, namely the United Kingdom, Russia,and France, operate large-scale reprocessing facilities fornon-military use, and China plans to import this technology
from France. Non-nuclear weapon states such as Germanyand Belgium have operated research facilities in the past.
Currently, only Japan has a large-scale reprocessing facility,
which is scheduled to open in 2021. Non-nuclear countries
other than Japan are intending to significantly reduce, andeventually eliminate, their supplies of separated plutonium.
Germany already has eliminated its domestic holdings.

Pakistan
India

North Korea

＊2
Other
non-nuclear weapon states

Subtotal
Total

Military use (tons)

Non-military use (tons)

670.0
480.0
25.0
14.0
21.9
0.3
3.7
4.4
0.5

9.0
85.0
5.1
0.24
0.7
0.0
0.0
0.0

1,220

＊3

1,335

15.0
115 ＊3＊3.The stockpile of fissile materials includes estimated ones with large
uncertainties and thus total quantities are expressed in rounded numbers.

Estimates for military HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium)
except those for the U.S. and U.K. contain large uncertainties. It is estimated that the Hiroshima bomb contained 64
kg of HEU.
＊ 2 . countries are estimated to have at least 1 kg of HEU(see the poster. Spain has only plutonium and no HEU). The
data on the amount each country has is considered confidential, and is not made public.

All five of the major nuclear powers have ceased producing
military-use highly enriched uranium (HEU). However, India
and Pakistan’ s production facilities continue to be operational. Israel possesses some military-use HEU acquired fromother countries, but has no enrichment facilities of its own.
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, the United
Kingdom, China, Japan, Iran and the United States havenon-military enrichment facilities. Other countries, including
Brazil, are also attempting to construct new facilities. In addition, the United States has plans to build new non-militaryenrichment facilities.

is an artificial radioactive element
Plutonium that
does not exist in nature and isgenerated from a nuclear reactor. Spent nuclear fuel discharged
from light water reactors, which are dominantly used throughout
the world, contains about 1% plutonium by weight. Plutonium canbe recovered from spent nuclear fuel, leaving uranium and fission
products, in what is referred to as “reprocessing”.

Several isotopes of plutonium exist, but compositions can vary withthe operational conditions of the nuclear reactors. The plutonium
recovered from spent fuel at nuclear power plants typically contains about 60% plutonium-239 (reactor-grade). In contrast, the plutonium recovered from spent fuel at military
production reactors contain 90% or more plutonium-239 (weapons-grade).
Reactor-grade plutonium contains a large amount of plutonium-240, which can reduce
the yield, and is considered not optimal for nuclear weapons. However, this does notchange the fact that reactor-grade plutonium has an explosive power that surpasses
conventional weapons. Reactor-grade plutonium can still be incorporated into moreadvanced design techniques, and can make large weapons more destructive.

a natural radioactive element. In nature, mostUranium isuranium
is found as the less fissionable uranium-238 (99.3%). Only 0.7% of uranium is the fissile uranium-235. Thus
nuclear fission is used to increase the concentration of uranium-235 in aprocess called “uranium enrichment.”
Uranium enriched to 20% or more is believed to be usable for weapons, andis referred to as “Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU).” Typical nuclear weapons
use uranium enriched to 90% or higher. On the other hand, nuclear fuel used
in a nuclear power plant typically has a 3–5% concentration, and is referredto as “low-enriched uranium (LEU).”

It is still possible to produce highly enriched uranium, even in civilian facilities
that produce low-enriched uranium. Take for example an enrichment facility with a supply
capacity of 130 tons of low-enriched uranium per year, which enables operation of agigawatt class power plant for a year. From 150 tons of natural uranium it is possible toproduce 100 kg of 93% highly enriched uranium (equivalent to four atomic bombs) in oneyear. In addition, from 4% low-enriched uranium it is possible to also produce 100 kg of 93%
highly enriched uranium, but in just eight days. However, thanks to inspections conductedby the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is not easy for non-nuclear weapon states tosecretly manufacture highly enriched uranium in safeguarded civilian nuclear facilities.

Highly enriched uranium and plutonium are essential raw materials for
producing nuclear weapons. These are obtained via uranium enrichment
or reprocessing technologies and facilities. Some countries haveso-called “nuclear fuel cycle” facilities for nuclear power generation. However, even small-scale nuclear fuel cycle facilities have the capability toproduce fissile materials for military purposes, significantly increasing therisk of nuclear weapons proliferation.

Military and Non-military

Plutonium

Military: Plutonium used innuclear warheads or stored foruse in weapons; plutonium thatis reserved for possible militaryuses in the future
Non-military: Plutonium separated from spent nuclear fuel from anuclear reactor for non-military
purposes; plutonium declared as
surplus for nuclear weapons

Uranium

The Raw Materials Used in Making Nuclear WeaponsPlutonium

Military and Non-military

Highly Enriched
Uranium (HEU)
Military: HEU used in nuclear
warheads or stored for use inweapons; HEU used in reactor
fuel for naval nuclear propulsion(including spent fuel)The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes it is possible tomanufacture a nuclear weapon with 25 kg of uranium-235 or 8 kg of plutonium.

A WORLD OF POTENTIAL BOMBS

Non-military: HEU used in fuelfor research and testing reactors;
HEU declared as surplus formilitary purposes

Fissile Material Inventory 2020.6
189.3tExisting Raw Materials CanCreate Many Atomic Bombs

Separated
Plutonium：

Highly Enriched
Uranium：

Non-military use
Military Use

Non-military use

Japan’s High Amount ofPlutonium as a Non-NuclearWeapon State

Military Use

16,883bombs eq.

Nuclear Weapon Countries (9 countries)
Non-nuclear Weapon Countries with Fissile
Materials (with 1kg or more)(14 countries)
Non-nuclear Weapon Countries (others)

It is estimated that the Hiroshima

679.0 t119.0tthe Nagasaki bomb had 6 kg of plutonium. The amount of fissile mate-bombs eq.

bombs eq.

the fifth largest amount of separated

73.7t

8,217

bombs eq.

sented by this bar graph and corre-separated plutonium, possessing

19,30087. 7trial that each country has is repre-

0.04t 0.45t
7Canadabombs eq.

565.0tsponds to the number of thesebombs that could be produced

22. 6t12

bombs eq.

11,283bombs eq.

colors represent raw materials for

45.7t

Netherlands

342

Kazakhstan

bombs eq.

7,500

1,000

bombs eq.

Spain391

France62

153

Israelworld’ s separated plutonium. From

483

219

bombs eq.

bombs eq. bombs eq.

ChinaPakistan

58

7,617

Japan

bombs eq. bombs eq.

Syria

5bombs eq. bombs eq.

4bombs eq. bombs eq.

0.37t 3.72t

Germany

0.92t 0.32t

bombs eq. bombs eq.

USAItaly

7

Iran

7.5t
67

bombs eq.

4.4t

1.183

69

bombs eq. bombs eq.

Military-use HEU accounts for 91%
of all highly enriched uranium.

Since 2007, 73 tons of military

HEU and 203 tons of non-mili-tary-use HEU have been eliminat-

1.9t

15.0t

317

234

bombs eq.
Non-nuclear weapon
states except Japan

1,800

19,060bombs eq.

bombs eq.

Highly Enriched Uranium

1,335

tons

20,86024,500of military-use plutonium has been

Separated Plutonium

plutonium. Since 2007, the amount

Hiroshima Bombs Eq.

(64kg/bomb)

reduced by 23 tons, but there has

been an increase in non-military-use plutonium of 53 tons.

63,700bombs eq.

bombs eq.

530

tons

88,200Australia

bombs eq.
Non-nuclear Weapon
Countries(13 countries)

109,060
increase from 2019:+960bombs eq.

South Africa

ed. In contrast, non-military-use

plutonium accounts for 72% of allIndia

TotalNagasaki Bombs Eq.
(6kg/bomb)

France. In contrast, the otherbined possess only 0.3% of the

2.9t 14.2t

Belarus

United Kingdom

Kingdom, the United States, andnon-nuclear weapon states com-Russia

bombs eq. bombs eq.

80bombs eq.

bombs eq.

North Korea

10,469bombs eq.

530

30.1t

military use.

14,667

Belgiumbombs eq. bombs eq.

6,400

7plutonium after Russia, the United

Norway1,328

with these materials. Both dark

Downward Trend in HEU andUpward Trend in Plutonium

Japan has almost 9% of the world’ s141

bomb had 64 kg of HEU, and that

Bombs equivalant(Bombs eq.)

・Fissile materials are Highly Enriched Uranium(HEU) and plutonium (Pu) which can be used for nuclear weapon.
・Fissile materials owned by non-nuclear weapon countries are shown only as total of materials owned by all non-nuclear weapon countries except separated plutonium owned by Japan.
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Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA)/Detailed data：http://www.recna.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/recna/en-fmdata

this one can tell that Japan is a very
unique outlier.

Reducing Fissile Materials isa Huge Challenge
All of the global fissile materials
combined are equivalent to morethan 100,000 of the Hiroshima andNagasaki bombs. It is estimated that
there are 13,410 nuclear warheads inthe world. In other words, the worldis capable of developing many times
more nuclear weapons than it currently possesses.
Fissile materials will remain even if
all of the world’s nuclear weapons aredismantled. The elimination of fissile
materials must be done in a mannerthat ensures we never again return
to manufacturing nuclear warheads.