North Korea conducted another nuclear test on Sunday, claiming it had detonated a hydrogen device that it could fit on a missile capable of reaching the United States mainland.
South Korean and Japanese authorities confirmed that North Korea had carried out a huge test — it had an estimated yield of 100 kilotons — although Pyongyang's incendiary claims about its technical advances could not be verified.
Regardless, this is now North Korea's sixth test since it began testing 11 years ago, and it is the first of the Trump administration.
[In latest test, North Korea detonates its most powerful nuclear device yet]
Map Key
| 10,000 kilotons | |||
| 2,000 | United States | ||
| U.S.S.R. | United Kingdom | ||
| China | France | ||
| India, Pakistan, North Korea, Unknown | |||
In total, eight countries have performed nuclear tests. The United States and U.S.S.R. have performed the most explosive tests in history.
“Yield,” a measure of how much energy an explosion releases, is measured in kilotons — one equalling about the power of 1,000 tons of TNT. Both nuclear superpowers have performed nuclear tests with yields of at least 10,000 kilotons (at scale above: ).
The United States is the only country that has used a nuclear weapon in war. Those destructive detonations — in Japan at Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and at Nagasaki three days later — were just 15 () and 21 () kilotons.
Nuclear tests throughout history, per country
Most nuclear powers have not performed a nuclear test in decades.
The United States and Russia possess 93 percent of the global nuclear warheads arsenal, according to Federation of American Scientists estimates. Both countries each have several thousand “retired” warheads awaiting dismantlement.
Chart key
Number of nuclear tests that year
Estimated nuclear stockpile
United States
1,032 total tests
The United States
heavily reduced its nuclear
stockpile in the early 1990s.
96 nuclear tests in 1962.
31,255
warheads
1945
1992
The U.S.S.R.’s stockpile peaked in 1986 at 40,159 warheads.
U.S.S.R.
715
1949
1990
U.S., U.S.S.R. and U.K. temporarily agree to stop all nuclear testing.
United Kingdom
45
1952
1991
France
210
1960
1996
China
45
1964
1996
India
3
1998
1974
Pakistan
2
1998
North Korea
6
2006
2017
North Korea’s recent tests have been
heavily condemned.
Chart key
Number of nuclear tests that year
Estimated nuclear stockpile
United States
The United States performed
96 nuclear tests in 1962.
The United States heavily reduced its nuclear stockpile in the early 1990s.
1,032 total tests
31,255 warheads
1945
1992
U.S.S.R.
The U.S.S.R.’s stockpile peaked
in 1986 at 40,159 warheads.
715
1949
1990
U.S., U.S.S.R. and U.K. temporarily agree
to stop all nuclear testing.
United Kingdom
45
1952
1991
France
210
1960
1996
China
45
1964
1996
India
3
1998
1974
Pakistan
2
1998
North Korea’s recent tests have been
heavily condemned.
North Korea
6
2006
2017
Chart key
Number of nuclear tests that year
Estimated nuclear stockpile
The United States performed
96 nuclear tests in 1962.
“Castle Bravo,” the
most powerful test in
U.S. history, takes place.
The United States heavily reduced its nuclear stockpile in the early 1990s.
31,255 warheads
United States
1,032 total tests
1945
1992
The U.S.S.R.’s stockpile peaked
in 1986 at 40,159 warheads.
U.S.S.R.
715
1949
1990
U.S., U.S.S.R. and U.K. temporarily agreed
to stop all nuclear testing.
United Kingdom
45
1952
1991
France
210
1960
1996
China
45
1964
1996
India
3
1998
1974
Pakistan
2
1998
North Korea’s recent tests have been
heavily condemned.
North Korea
6
2006
2017
Chart key
Number of nuclear tests that year
Estimated nuclear stockpile
United States
1,032 total tests
The United States
heavily reduced its nuclear
stockpile in the early 1990s.
96 nuclear tests in 1962.
31,255
warheads
1945
1992
The U.S.S.R.’s stockpile peaked in 1986 at 40,159 warheads.
U.S.S.R.
715
1949
1990
U.S., U.S.S.R. and U.K. temporarily agree to stop all nuclear testing.
United Kingdom
45
1952
1991
France
210
1960
1996
China
45
1964
1996
India
3
1998
1974
Pakistan
2
1998
North Korea
6
2006
2017
North Korea’s recent tests have been
heavily condemned.
Anna Fifield contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of nuclear tests performed by France.
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