Kazakhstan leads Central Asia in military spending per person

Kazakhstan spends $288.1 per person annually / Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

Kazakhstan ranks first among Central Asian countries in per capita military spending. According to the 2026 Global Firepower findings cited by Energyprom, the figure stands at $288.1 per person annually, outpacing its regional neighbors.

By comparison, Turkmenistan spends $254.7 per capita, Uzbekistan $170, while Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan trail with $106 and $43.3, respectively.

Globally, military expenditures continue to rise. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports that the world’s defense budget has surpassed $2.6 trillion, increasing steadily amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

When measured per capita, countries with a strong focus on defense top the ranking. Israel leads with $3,700 per person per year, followed by the U.S. at $2,400 and Australia at $2,100.

Notably, Germany and Russia, despite differences in economic size and total military budgets, report similar per-capita spending of around $1,500, while the U.K. and Ukraine each report roughly $1,300 per person.

In contrast, populous countries show much lower per-capita figures. For example, China spends about $214 per person and India spends about $77. A similar pattern is seen in Indonesia, Pakistan and Egypt, where per-capita defense spending remains minimal due to large populations.