Kazakhstan's military expenditure (current LCU) was 682.3 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 50.39% from 453.7 billion in 2015 (4.16% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 682.3 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 640.92 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 453.7 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 709.87 billion | 2019 |
| Lowest | 300 million | 1993 |
| Average since 2016 | 574.43 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 300 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Kazakhstan's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 24.6% on 2024 (from 547.6 billion to 682.3 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +21.7% and a typical year strayed about 36.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 1,166.7% in 1994 and the biggest yearly fall was 21.9% in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 21% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Kazakhstan had the 31st highest value of the 150 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 2025 ranking
- United States — 28th of 150: 954.39 billion
- South Sudan — 29th of 150: 798.3 billion
- Mongolia — 30th of 150: 784.57 billion
- Burundi — 32nd of 150: 670.49 billion
- Armenia — 33rd of 150: 667.88 billion
- Mali — 34th of 150: 554.09 billion
What this measures
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)
Limitations: SIPRI strives to compile reliable, consistent military expenditure data by assessing multiple sources, but accuracy depends on the quality and transparency of those sources. Challenges arise from two key issues: whether reported figures reflect actual spending and how closely they match SIPRI’s definition. While data is generally accurate in developed and many developing countries, weak governance, corruption, and secret transfers in others can lead to major discrepancies. SIPRI sometimes makes estimates, when sources conflict or lack coverage, introducing uncertainty, especially for countries like China or the UAE.
All 33 values
| Year | Military expenditure (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 682,300,000,000 |
| 2024 | 547,600,000,000 |
| 2023 | 531,404,000,000 |
| 2022 | 536,920,000,000 |
| 2021 | 687,800,000,000 |
| 2020 | 640,920,000,000 |
| 2019 | 709,870,000,000 |
| 2018 | 516,580,000,000 |
| 2017 | 452,375,000,000 |
| 2016 | 438,500,000,000 |
Military expenditure (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Albania — 54.11 billion (2025)
- Armenia — 667.88 billion (2025)
- Austria — 5.63 billion (2025)
- Azerbaijan — 8.4 billion (2025)
- Belarus — 6.35 billion (2025)
- Belgium — 12.88 billion (2025)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 401.19 million (2025)
- Bulgaria — 4.49 billion (2025)
- Croatia — 1.86 billion (2025)
- Cyprus — 588 million (2025)
- Czechia
More public sector data for Kazakhstan
- 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, total — 71,000 (2020)
- 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
Questions people ask
- What is Kazakhstan's military expenditure (current LCU)?
- 682.3 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1993?
- It is up 227,333% from 300 million in 1993 (27.32% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 709.87 billion in 2019 and the lowest 300 million in 1993.
- How does Kazakhstan rank?
- 31st highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in military expenditure (current LCU) unusual for Kazakhstan?
- In 2025, Kazakhstan's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 24.6% on 2024 (from 547.6 billion to 682.3 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +21.7% and a typical year strayed about 36.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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.XPND.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases 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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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