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The Nuclear Testing Tally

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Nuclear Testing
Fact Sheet, February 2007

Press Contacts: Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, (202) 463-8270 x107

Negotiated and opened for signature in 1996, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) prohibits all nuclear explosions. The CTBT will formally enter into force after 44 designated "nuclear-capable states" have deposited their instruments of ratification with the UN secretary-general. To date, 138 countries have ratified the treaty and another 39 have signed the accord. Yet of the 44 specified countries, India, Pakistan, and North Korea still have not signed, while another seven countries (China, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, and the United States) have not completed ratification.

 

United States (1,030)
First tested: July 16, 1945.
Last tested: Sept. 23, 1992.
Signed CTBT: Sept. 24, 1996.

USSR/Russia (715 tests)
First tested: Aug. 29, 1949.
Last tested: Oct. 24, 1990.
Deposited CTBT Ratification: June 30, 2000..

United Kingdom (45 tests)
First tested: Oct. 3, 1952.
Last tested: Nov. 26, 1991.
Signed CTBT: Sept. 24, 1996.
Deposited CTBT Ratification:
Apr. 6, 1998.

France (210 tests)
First tested: Feb. 13, 1960.
Last tested: Jan. 27, 1996.
Signed CTBT: Sept. 24, 1996.
Deposited CTBT Ratification:
Apr. 6, 1998.

China (45 tests)
First tested: Oct. 16, 1964.
Last tested: July 29, 1996.
Signed CTBT: Sept. 24, 1996.

India (3 tests1)
First tested: May 18, 1974.
Last tested: May 13, 1998.
Not a CTBT signatory.

Pakistan (2 tests1)
First tested: May 28, 1998.
Last tested: May 30, 1998.
Not a CTBT signatory.

North Korea (1 test)
First tested: Oct. 9, 2006.
Not a CTBT signatory.
Year United States USSR/ Russia United Kingdom France China India Pakistan North Korea Total
1945 1 1
1946 2 2
1947 0 0
1948 3 3
1949 0 1 1
1950 0 0 0
1951 16 2 18
1952 10 0 1 11
1953 11 5 2 18
1954 6 10 0 16
1955 18 6 0 24
1956 18 9 6 33
1957 32 16 7 55
1958 77 34 5 116
1959 0 0 0 0
1960 0 0 0 3 3
1961 10 59 0 2 71
1962 96 79 2 1 178
1963 47 0 0 3 50
1964 45 9 2 3 1 60
1965 38 14 1 4 1 58
1966 48 18 0 7 3 76
1967 42 17 0 3 2 64
1968 56 17 0 5 1 79
1969 46 19 0 0 2 67
1970 39 16 0 8 1 64
1971 24 23 0 5 1 53
1972 27 24 0 4 2 57
1973 24 17 0 6 1 48
1974 22 21 1 9 1 1 55
1975 22 19 0 2 1 0 44
1976 20 21 1 5 4 0 51
1977 20 24 0 9 1 0 54
1978 19 31 2 11 3 0 66
1979 15 31 1 10 1 0 58
1980 14 24 3 12 1 0 54
1981 16 21 1 12 0 0 50
1982 18 19 1 10 1 0 49
1983 18 25 1 9 2 0 55
1984 18 27 2 8 2 0 57
1985 17 10 1 8 0 0 36
1986 14 0 1 8 0 0 23
1987 14 23 1 8 1 0 47
1988 15 16 0 8 1 0 40
1989 11 7 1 9 0 0 28
1990 8 1 1 6 2 0 18
1991 7 0 1 6 0 0 14
1992 6 0 0 0 2 0 8
1993 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
1994 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
1995 0 0 0 5 2 0 7
1996 0 0 0 1 2 0 3
1997 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1998 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4
1999-2005 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Total 1,030 715 45 210 45 3 2 1 2,051
NOTE

1. In accordance with the definition of a nuclear test contained in the Threshold Test Ban Treaty and to allow accurate comparison with other countries' figures, India's three simultaneous nuclear explosions on May 11 are counted as only one nuclear test, as are the two explosions on May 13. Likewise, Pakistan's five simultaneous explosions on May 28 are counted as a single test.

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