A comparative analysis of income dynamics in the two largest economies of Central Asia—Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan—over the past 25 years has revealed a paradox: while figures in Uzbekistan have grown hundreds of times, the actual gap in living standards with neighboring Kazakhstan has narrowed more slowly than expected, Tashkent Today reported. Experts compared the cumulative
The Government of Kazakhstan has adopted the Concept for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for 2026-2035, a strategic document defining state policy in nature conservation, ecosystem restoration, and the sustainable use of biodiversity. The concept is the result of joint work between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the scientific community,
Last year, the number of marriages in Kazakhstan continued to decline amid a rise in divorces. In 2025, an all-time low of 114,500 marriages were registered in the country, 7.4% fewer than the previous year, finprom.kz reported with reference to data from the Bureau of National Statistics. The number of divorces increased by 11.9% to
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Kazakhstan have signed two landmark agreements under the Development of Economic and Industrial Zones Project, with a total IsDB contribution of $1.307 billion. The signing followed discussions between IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser and Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev, reaffirming a strategic partnership with cumulative
Afghanistan’s trade with Central Asian countries increased significantly in 2025 compared to 2024, with imports rising by 43% and exports growing by 77%, TOLOnews reported citing statistics from the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Afghanistan’s imports increased from $1.679 billion in 2024 to $2.399 billion in 2025, while exports rose from $122 million to
In 2025, for the first time ever, Kazakhstan exported more ice cream than it imported: exports totaled 14,167 tons, while imports stood at 12,194 tons, reflecting the growing competitiveness of Kazakhstani products, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration. According to Omarbek Zhuldyz, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Shin-Line, the largest ice cream
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi recently visited founding AIIB members Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, conveying her intent to ensure AIIB’s future direction remains grounded in country needs and strong partnerships. These visits, part of a “listening tour” Zou is undertaking since she took office in January, highlighted Central Asia’s position as
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda on March 2 met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to reaffirm ADB’s strong partnership with the country and announced up to $5.4 billion in indicative financing during 2026–2029 in support of Kazakhstan’s development agenda. “ADB is committed to supporting Kazakhstan’s development priorities that promote sustainable, inclusive economic
The ongoing military operation of the United States and Israel against Iran impacts international security, energy markets, and trade routes. Orda.kz gathered opinions from Kazakhstani analysts on possible scenarios and implications of the conflict for Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Political analyst Askar Nursha believes that the main impact of the conflict on the countries of
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan hosted a meeting of the Steering Committee of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework between the Government of Kazakhstan and the United Nations for 2026-2030. The meeting brought together representatives of government institutions, the UN Country Team, and civil society organizations. Opening the session, Vice Minister of
Based on recent economic consensus from institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB), and the World Economic Forum (WEF) as of early 2026, globalization is not entirely “over,” but it is undergoing a profound structural shift. Economists generally agree that the era of hyperglobalization has stagnated—a trend accelerated by the
On February 26, London hosted a meeting of foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries and the United Kingdom under the “Central Asia + UK” (CA5+UK) framework. The ministers discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including opportunities for economic growth, expanding trade and investment cooperation, and joint efforts to strengthen regional connectivity
Kazakhstan ranked as low as 77th out of 89 countries in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Countries for a Comfortable Retirement rankings, Energyprom.kz reports. The rankings are drawn from an international survey of nearly 17,000 people and highlight countries according to the perceptions of a subset of about 5,900 respondents in their mid-40s and older.
On February 25 in London, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev took part in a roundtable meeting with representatives of the British business community. The British side was represented by Acting Minister of State for Business and Trade and Co-Chair of the UK side of the Kazakhstan-UK Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical
In 2025, Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover, according to preliminary data, reached $143.9 billion—$1.8 billion more than in 2024. Compared to 2020, trade turnover increased by two-thirds, according to finprom.kz. Exports in 2025 amounted to $79 billion—slightly below the 2024 level and the 2022 peak. Imports, on the contrary, continued to grow: from $38.9 billion in
There’s a growing discussion on social media that Kazakhstanis have allegedly started buying pork more often due to high prices of beef, which is almost twice as expensive. Social-media users claim the price difference has defined the consumer choice. Orda.kz investigated whether this is true. According to a meat vendor, “It’s not that everyone has
Since the beginning of 2026, employers have posted 102,700 job vacancies and job seekers have submitted 162,400 resumes on the Enbek.kz online job exchange in Kazakhstan, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The number of job seekers exceeds the number of vacancies, with an average of 1.58 resumes per vacancy. Over 80%
In preparation for the coming spring flood season, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is pre-emptively releasing water from key reservoirs across the country’s northern, central, western, and eastern regions to prepare for the influx of meltwater expected during the spring thaw. At the same time, reservoirs in the southern, arid regions which heavily
Motor transport plays a significant role in Kazakhstan’s cargo transportation, including for export and transit. It accounts for about a third of all freight traffic and is only second to rail transport. The fastest growing freight traffic by automobile transport is through Kazakhstan’s border with China. A total of 639,600 vehicles crossed the border with
As part of the implementation of the President of Kazakhstan’s instruction to increase the country’s transit potential and bring annual transit cargo volumes to 55 million tons, the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan on February 16 met with the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan to discuss expanding cooperation in rail transport, according to the Kazakh