Military profile
Kazakhstan Military Strength
Kazakhstan ranks #63 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 45,000 active personnel. It spent $1.3 billion on its military in 2025 (0.4% of GDP).
Kazakhstan armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 45,000#69 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 0#84 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 32,000#42 of 145
- Army personnel
- 65,000#53 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 12,000#52 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 3,000#69 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 237#42 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 81#27 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 39#15 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 75#48 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 25#28 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 300#48 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 246#23 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 456#25 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 407#17 of 145
Naval power
- Aircraft carriers
- 0#8 of 113
- Destroyers
- 0#15 of 113
- Frigates
- 0#56 of 113
- Corvettes
- 0#47 of 113
- Submarines
- 0#44 of 113
- Patrol vessels
- 15#59 of 113
- Mine warfare vessels
- 2#41 of 113
Finance
- Military spending
- $1.3 billion#78 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 0.4%#148 of 156
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $475.2 billion#41 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Kazakhstan military spending 2010–2025
Military spending of Kazakhstan fell by 13% between 2010 and 2025, from $1.5 billion to $1.3 billion (current US dollars), and stood at 0.4% of GDP in 2025.
Armed forces of Kazakhstan
Branches and forces
Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Land Forces (Army of Kazakhstan), Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police, National Guard Committee for National Security (KNB): Border Guard Service (2025)
Personnel
available information varies widely; estimated 50,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 30,000 National Guard (2025)
Service age and conscription
men 18-27 are subject to conscription for 12-24 months; conscripts may be assigned to the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Border Service, the State Security Service, or the Ministry of Emergency Situations; women may volunteer (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the Kazakh military's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has sought to diversify to suppliers such as China, France, Israel, South Korea, and Türkiye; Kazakhstan has a defense industry capable of assembling or producing such items as naval vessels, combat vehicles, helicopters, and radar systems (2025)
Good to know
the military’s principal responsibilities are territorial defense while the National Police, National Guard, Committee for National Security, and Border Service have primary responsibility for internal security, although the military may provide assistance if required; the military also participates in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, as well as regional exercises; in recent years, Kazakhstan has placed greater emphasis on regional military partnerships and equipment modernization and diversification in order to reduce reliance on Russia, its traditional security partner; other efforts to enhance the country’s security sector have included boosting the capabilities of the National Guard and improving military professionalism Kazakhstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has obligated troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; it also has had a relationship with NATO since 1992 focused on democratic, institutional, and defense reforms (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2024: 0.9% · 2023: 1% · 2022: 0.9% · 2021: 1% · 2020: 1.1%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Kazakhstan compared with its neighbours
| Country | Strength rank | Military spending |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | #63 | $1.3 billion |
 Russia | #2 | $190.4 billion |
 Uzbekistan | #62 | — |
 China | #3 | $335.5 billion |
 Kyrgyzstan | #107 | $601 million |
 Turkmenistan | #82 | — |