$288 Per Person: Kazakhstan Leads Central Asia in Military Spending

In 2026, Kazakhstan ranked first in Central Asia in terms of military spending per capita — $288 per year. Israel and the United States lead the global ranking, Orda.kz reports, citing EnergyProm.

According to SIPRI estimates, global military spending has already exceeded $2.6 trillion and continues to grow amid geopolitical tensions.

Calculating costs per person, Israel became the leader at about $3,700 per year. Next are the United States ($2,400) and Australia ($2,100). Germany and Russia show comparable values — about $1,500 per person.

At the same time, large countries spend much less per inhabitant: China — about $214, India — $77.

In Central Asia, Kazakhstan leads with a figure of $288 per person. It is followed by Turkmenistan ($254) and Uzbekistan ($170). Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan lag far behind at $106 and $43, respectively.

 Experts note that the level of per capita spending depends not only on the economy but also on security factors: countries with elevated risks tend to concentrate more resources on defense, regardless of population size.

Original author: Elvira Ivannikova

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