Sometimes it is not just people who leave. Entire eras pass away with them. Today we think of Mukhtar Shakhanov (born in 1942) with deep sorrow. Mukhtar-aga was someone who could never be seen simply as a poet or a public figure. He was a phenomenon. A voice of his time. And for Kazakhstan, a
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
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.
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
At the invitation of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 11 arrived in Uzbekistan on a working visit. Mirziyoyev met with Tokayev in Bukhara to discuss further strengthening Uzbek-Kazakh relations of friendship, strategic partnership, and alliance. The leaders noted that regular informal regional meetings have become a
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
Construction of a world-class film studio, Dala Stage, has begun in the town of Kaskelen in the Almaty region. According to the press service of the Almaty region’s governor, one of the most notable moments at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony was the delivery of a time capsule from Jackie Chan, which was transported by helicopter.
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
The project of the Zangezur Corridor was high on the agenda of the second meeting of heads of government of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Baku, Azerbaijan on April 2. Founded in 2009 to foster comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations, the OTS includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and
Kazakhstan has approved regulations for equipping shelters for the population protection. The new standard covers basements, underground parking lots, and other subterranean spaces, according to the press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan. In Kazakhstan, a new standard for shelters in case of emergencies has come into effect from January 1,
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
In China’s Fujian province, discussions were held regarding the localization of production and the launch of new Chinese enterprises with investments of up to $1.2 billion in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration. This was announced following the visit of Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliyev, to Fujian province.
Some meetings happen exactly where different worlds meet. That was the feeling of a meeting in Montevideo between Marat Akhmedjanov, the founder and patron of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), and the Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Uruguay, Martín Soca. Latin America knows how to surprise, and Uruguay in particular. The country is often called
The situation on Kazakhstan’s roads has been deteriorating in recent years. According to the Legal Statistics Committee of the Prosecutor General’s Office, while 13,300 road accidents were recorded in the country in 2020, last year there were more than 36,100 road accidents, or 2.7 times more. However, the number of vehicles has not increased significantly
As part of an official visit to China, Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev participated in the “Export to China – SCO Selection” forum, which became one of the key platforms for promoting Kazakh exports to the Chinese market. Opening the forum, the Minister emphasized that Kazakhstan views China as a strategic partner
As part of an official visit to Tashkent on March 30, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov to discuss further strengthening of Kazakh-Uzbek political, trade, economic, investment, transit-transport, water-energy, and cultural-humanitarian cooperation. Special attention was paid to further development of trade, economic
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 90 billion tenge ($173.6 million equivalent) loan to Otbasy Bank JSC to expand access to affordable housing finance for women and offer green mortgage products for low- to moderate-income households across Kazakhstan. The Promoting Inclusive and Green Housing Finance Project will provide residential mortgage financing to more than 2,000