Nuclear Weapons Tests Have Almost Stopped

The nuclear weapons states frequently tested their warheads in the past, but tests now have almost ended.

The chart shows that they peaked in 1962 at 178 tests, mostly conducted by the United States and the Soviet Union. These tests harmed the environment and people, especially indigenous communities.

Tests decreased later during the Cold War and have been nearly absent in the last two decades. The only country that has recently tested nuclear weapons is North Korea.