About NTI Nuclear Security Index
Developed in 2012 with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and with input from a respected international panel of nuclear security experts, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) Nuclear Security Index tracks country-level progress on nuclear security and encourages governments to take actions to protect and build confidence in the security of their materials and facilities. The NTI Index is recognized as the premier resource and tool for tracking progress on nuclear security.
The 2018 NTI Nuclear Security Index assesses the security of some of the world’s deadliest materials (highly enriched uranium and plutonium that can be used to build nuclear weapons), as well as the security of nuclear facilities, which, if sabotaged, could release dangerous levels of radiation.
The NTI Index ranks 22 countries with one kilogram or more of weapons-usable nuclear materials across a broad framework capturing policies, actions, and other conditions that shape their nuclear security. An additional 154 countries with less than one kilogram of weapons-usable nuclear materials or none at all are assessed across a subset of the framework. This “Theft Ranking” has been included in every edition of the NTI Index. In 2016, the NTI Index added a third set of countries in a new “Sabotage Ranking.” An act of sabotage against a nuclear facility could lead to a dangerous radiation release. This assessment reviews the protection of nuclear facilities against sabotage in 44 countries and Taiwan.
The NTI Index is presented in three formats:
- The print report, which contains NTI observations and recommendations, an overview of the EIU methodology, selected data, and country profiles.
- This website, NTIindex.org, which shows high-level results, country profiles in an easily accessible format, and a detailed description of methodology
- A downloadable version of the 2018 NTI Index, which is available through the website and shows detailed results and data and which provides extended interactive features in an Excel format