Kazakhstan ranked 58th in the 2024 global military power rankings, outperforming Uzbekistan by seven places, which secured 65th position. Interestingly, Kazakhstan even surpassed Azerbaijan, a country recognized for its two successful military campaigns, Foreign Policy Analyst from Central Asia, Eldaniz Gusseinov reported. This advancement in the ranking, as Professor Rustam Burnashev of the Kazakh-German University concurs, appears somewhat unexpected.
Upon closer examination, it is evident that Kazakhstan outperforms Uzbekistan across all key parameters such as human resources, air and land forces, naval capabilities, logistics, finance, natural resources, and geography. Despite Uzbekistan’s population advantage, the ranking primarily relies on quantitative data. However, given the allied relations between the two countries, their respective positions in the ranking do not hold significant implications.
The defence budgets of the two countries present noteworthy insights. According to the ranking, Kazakhstan’s defence budget stands at $7.5 bn, while Uzbekistan’s is at $796 mn. This suggests that defence spending accounts for approximately 3.3% of Kazakhstan’s GDP, while in Uzbekistan it is less than 1%.
Infographics: Sabina Aliyeva
However, these figures show a discrepancy when compared with other international estimates. The Stockholm Institute for Peace Research indicates that Kazakhstan’s share of defence spending in GDP was 0.51% in 2022, while the latest figures for Uzbekistan for 2018 show a share of 4%. Based on this, the defence spending of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in 2022 could be $1.1 bn and $3.2 bn respectively. Furthermore, the Institute for Strategic Studies estimates Kazakhstan’s defence budget at $2.5 bn.
Earlier, Daryo reported that the Kazakhstan Defense Ministry has expressed concern over the high turnover rate of its military personnel. The first deputy defence minister, Sultan Kamaletdinov, primarily attributes this problem to insufficient funding within the ministry.
“The persistent issue of military personnel turnover is a cause for concern, as the situation has remained unchanged for several years. One of the main factors contributing to this is the low wage structure,” Kamaletdinov remarked during a session of the Mazhilis’ Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security.
Over the past four years, the military experienced a departure of more than 17,000 troops. Despite recruiting 14,000 new personnel to counterbalance these losses, the number is insufficient to fully mitigate the impact of this high turnover rate.
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