Kazakhstan has improved its position in the international ranking over the past five years. If in 2021 the republic ranked 62nd place, in the rating of 2026 was on the 58th line among 145 countries. The best result for this period was recorded in 2025, when Kazakhstan rose to 57th place. However, this year the leadership is lost. This is reported inbusiness.kz.
Money also fights. Especially money…
Despite Uzbekistan’s higher position in the Global Firepower ranking, Kazakhstan remains the region’s leader in defense spending per capita. According to data for 2026, the republic spent about $288 per person on defense – almost 1.7 times more than Uzbekistan ($170). At the same time, Uzbekistan is ahead of Kazakhstan in a number of quantitative indicators, including the number of equipment and personnel (470 tanks versus 353 for Kazakhstan).
For Kazakhstan, not only the armed forces per se, but also the general parameters of the country play an important role in the assessment. The Republic has a large territory, resource base and a developed transit position. In its profile of Kazakhstan, Global Firepower separately notes the country as one of the world’s largest producers of coal, a resource that is counted in the natural resources block.
In 2026, Kazakhstan was approximately in the middle of the world list. Above it are, in particular, Venezuela, Romania, Uzbekistan, UAE, Czech Republic, Morocco and Hungary. Below – Angola and Azerbaijan. The United States, Russia and China remained the leaders of the rating.
The world is seriously preparing for a “big war”
The growing interest in military ratings is taking place against the background of a general increase in defense spending in the world. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military expenditures in 2025 reached a record $2.89 trillion, increasing by 9.4% over the year. Against this background, countries, including Central Asian states, are also increasing their attention to defense issues, military modernization and military infrastructure.
SIPRI notes that the growth of military expenditures is now observed in almost all regions of the world. Especially noticeable increase in defense budgets is recorded in Europe and Asia against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. According to the institute’s assessment, states are increasingly investing in modernization of weapons, air defense systems, unmanned technologies and military infrastructure. The report notes that the growth of military spending is becoming a long-term trend: many states are increasing their defense budgets not as a temporary measure, but as part of a new security strategy.
