According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the global military expenditure increased for the ninth consecutive year increasing by 6.8% in 2023. This increase is mainly attributed to the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions in Asia and Oceania and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the cumulative military spending in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was $1.8 billion in 2023, which is 5.3% less compared to the previous year’s expenditure. The report excludes Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan due to insufficient data.
While the global defense spending has been increasing from the 2014-2023 period, the military spending in Central Asia has decreased by 16% during the same period. Globally, the US, China and Russia are the biggest spenders on military.
Changes in military expenditure, by subregion, 2022–2023
Source: SIPRI
