Despite government measures aimed at supporting investment in Kazakhstan, Kazakhstani investors—both private and institutional—continue to channel their funds into foreign projects, ranking.kz reports based on data from the National Bank of Kazakhstan. In 2025, the outflow of direct investment abroad from Kazakhstani investors reached $2.4 billion, an increase of 30% year-on-year. In 2024, this figure
The largest number of crimes in Kazakhstan in 2025 was registered in Almaty—22,200. In Astana, the number of registered crimes was 16,000, but the capital was the “leader” in the number of crimes per 10,000 people (101.3), according to a crime rankings prepared by finprom.kz based on data from the Legal Statistics Committee of the
Uzbekistan’s economy demonstrated remarkable strength in 2025. Driven by robust consumption and investment, real GDP growth reached 7.7 percent, while the unemployment rate declined by 0.7 percentage points to 4.8 percent, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a statement following the 2026 Article IV Mission to Uzbekistan. According to the IMF, growth was broad‑based, with
Kazakhstan exported IT services for a total of $1.142 billion in 2025, 2.6 times more than $429 million the country spent on the import of foreign digital solutions. According to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, reaching $1.1 billion in export revenue is an indicator of the maturity of the country’s digital ecosystem.
Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a resolution on the relocation of greenhouse farms from Tashkent and the Tashkent region to the Surkhandarya region (the Surkhon-Agro special economic zone). The measure is aimed at improving air quality in the capital city, Tashkent Today reported. The government also introduces strict restrictions on greenhouses in the Tashkent
Kazakhstan’s economic growth is expected to moderate in 2026 and 2027 as oil output nears peak production capacity and private demand softens, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026, released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow at 4.8% in 2026 and 4.5% in 2027, from
As of the end of 2025, Kazakhstan’s external debt reached a record high of almost $182 billion, ranking.kz reported citing data from the National Bank. Over the year, the country’s external debt increased by a record 10.4%—the largest increase in the last 17 years. Prior to 2025, the country’s external debt dynamics were moderate, characterized
Valmont Industries, a leading global irrigation machinery manufacturer, plans to localize production of precision irrigation equipment (Valley brand) in Kazakhstan. The project was discussed on April 9 by Kazakh Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov and Philipp Schmidt-Holzmann, Valmont’s Regional Vice President, Eurasia & Latin America. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Saparov emphasized that the development
Uzbekistan’s economic growth is projected to remain robust at 6.7% in 2026 and edge up to 6.8% in 2027, following an exceptionally strong expansion of 7.7% in 2025, according to the latest forecasts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026. Growth accelerated in 2025, exceeding expectations as strong performance
Tajikistan’s economic growth is expected to remain strong in 2026 and 2027, driven mainly by industry and services, according to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) latest forecast. Stronger industrial competitiveness leading to greater value addition will support long term growth and job creation. The country’s gross domestic product is projected to expand by 7.3% this
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision has announced that a new resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers has significantly increased fines for harming wildlife in Kyrgyzstan. The measure is aimed at preserving biodiversity and strengthening the fight against poaching. According to the new regulations, the fine for illegally hunting ibex has tripled
Economic growth in Kyrgyzstan is projected to moderate from an estimated 11.1% in 2025, but remain strong at 8.9% in 2026 and 8.4% in 2027, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) flagship economic publication. Growth is expected to ease as construction and trade normalize, while domestic demand remains
Uzbekistan’s solar and wind power plants generated a total of 911.7 million kWh of electricity in March 2026, up 9.7 percent year on year, Xinhua reported citing Uzbek media. The output represented an increase of 92.1 million kWh compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Energy. Of
Kazakhstan continues to increase grain exports, confirming the strong demand for Kazakh agricultural products in foreign markets. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, from September 2025 to March 2026 (since the beginning of the current 2025-2026 marketing year), Kazakhstan exported 9.9 million tons of grain and flour in grain equivalent, a more than a million-ton
On April 7, Tashkent hosted the official launch of the “100 Products Accelerator” Program, designed to facilitate the entry of domestic goods into global markets, according to the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade. The opening ceremony was attended by Ilzat Kasimov, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade. This initiative is implemented in
The head of the State Tax Service estimates the shadow economy in Kyrgyzstan as currently standing at approximately 12%. Almambet Shykmamatov told local media that efforts to bring businesses out of the shadows are ongoing, and that this does not include punitive measures. According to the latest data from the National Statistical Committee, Kyrgyzstan’s non-observed (shadow)
A Government meeting on April 7 chaired by Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov discussed issues of developing coal energy and implementing the National Project on Coal-Fired Power Generation. Bektenov noted that the project provides for the commissioning of about 8 GW of additional capacity over 5 years through the construction of 8 new power
Bekhzod Khashimov, an economist and researcher at the University of Wisconsin, analyzed the current state of Tashkent’s urban environment. He’s come to the conclusion that despite high-quality private services in the Uzbek capital, public services remain in a critical state, Tashkent Today reported. The expert points to the following infrastructure issues: • Inaccessible environment: sidewalks
According to the 2026 Index of Economic Freedom published by The Heritage Foundation, Uzbekistan scored 60.3 points and ranked 86th globally, improving its result by 2.3 points from the previous year. This moved the country into the moderately free category. Notably, Uzbekistan’s current score is already above the 2026 global average of 59.9, the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry
A large share of expenditure on food remains the main indicator of low well-being of the population in Kazakhstan. In 2025, spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 13.9% compared to the previous year, and has increased almost six-fold since 2010, finprom.kz reported citing data from the Bureau of National Statistics. Despite the growth