Uzbekistan’s defense spending tops neighbors

Uzbekistan ranks third among Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations in military budget, surpassed only by Russia and Azerbaijan.

In 2024, Uzbekistan allocated $2.8 billion to defense, making it the highest defense spender in Central Asia, according to a recent report by Global Firepower (GFP), a leading annual defense ranking.

Kazakhstan ranked second in the region with $2 billion in military expenditures, followed by Turkmenistan at $1.1 billion. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan spent $446 million and $222 million, respectively.

Among CIS countries, Russia led with $126 billion in defense spending, followed by Azerbaijan with $5 billion. Uzbekistan ranked third.

Globally, the U.S. retained the top spot, with $895 billion allocated to defense in 2024.

The GFP ranking considers various defense expenditures, including equipment procurement and maintenance, infrastructure development and payments to active and retired military personnel.