Kazakhstan: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Kazakhstan's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 71,000 to 71,000).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2019), the average change was +13% and a typical year strayed about 62% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 313.9% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 19.8% in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about 72.73 a year. A straight line explains 73% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, Kazakhstan had the 59th highest value of the 170 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Kazakhstan in the 2020 ranking

• Canada — 58th of 170: 72,000
• Bolivia — 59th of 170: 71,000
• Dominican Republic — 60th of 170: 71,000
• Uzbekistan — 62nd of 170: 68,000
• United Arab Emirates — 63rd of 170: 63,000
• Australia — 64th of 170: 60,000

What this measures

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.

Limitations: Data excludes personnel not on active duty, therefore it underestimates the share of the labor force working for the defense establishment. The cooperation of governments of all countries listed in “The Military Balance” has been sought by IISS and, in many cases, received. However, some data in “The Military Balance” is estimated.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 28 values

Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies

• Albania — 8,000 (2020)
• Armenia — 47,000 (2020)
• Austria — 23,000 (2020)
• Azerbaijan — 82,000 (2020)
• Belarus — 158,000 (2020)
• Belgium — 24,000 (2020)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 11,000 (2020)
• Bulgaria — 37,000 (2020)
• Croatia — 20,000 (2020)
• Cyprus — 13,000 (2020)
• Czechia — 27,000 (2020)

More public sector data for Kazakhstan

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 682.3 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.43% (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.31 billion (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 18 million (2025)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.74% (2020)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 2.55 (2022)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 2.12% (2025)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 1.42 trillion (2023)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP) — 1.19% (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Kazakhstan's armed forces personnel, total?

71,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1993?

It is up 373.33% from 15,000 in 1993 (5.93% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 101,000 in 2005 and the lowest 15,000 in 1993.

How does Kazakhstan rank?

59th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in armed forces personnel, total unusual for Kazakhstan?

In 2020, Kazakhstan's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 71,000 to 71,000). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2019), the average change was +13% and a typical year strayed about 62% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.TOTL.P1, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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