Kazakhstan’s economy delivered strong results in 2025. According to preliminary data from the Bureau of National Statistics, the country’s gross domestic product increased by 6.5% year on year in January–December, DKNews.kz reports.
The growth was broad-based rather than driven by a single sector. In line with the President’s instructions, the Government continued to implement systemic measures aimed at economic diversification, with industry, transport, construction and trade making the largest contributions to overall expansion.
Industry remains a key growth engine
Industrial output rose by 7.4% over the year, with the manufacturing sector showing steady growth of 6.4%.
The increase was supported by:
- food production (+8.1%)
- refined petroleum products (+5.9%)
- chemical industry output (+9.8%)
- metallurgy (+1.2%)
- mechanical engineering (+12.9%)
Industrial growth was recorded across most regions of the country, including Aktobe, Almaty, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Zhetysu, Karaganda, Kostanay, Mangystau, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan, Ulytau and Turkestan regions, as well as the cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent.
Transport and logistics surge by more than 20%
The transport and warehousing sector was among the fastest-growing areas of the economy, posting growth of 20.4% for the year.
This expansion was driven primarily by higher volumes of freight transport, particularly by road and rail, as well as an increase in passenger traffic in several regions. Growth was also observed in auxiliary transport services, including freight forwarding, air traffic management, airport operations, warehousing, storage facilities, and services related to grain and refrigerated cargo storage.
Construction activity accelerates
Construction grew by 15.9%, exceeding the January–November figure of 14.7%. The increase was supported by the implementation of large-scale infrastructure and social projects.
These included the construction of “comfortable schools,” healthcare facilities, and transport and engineering infrastructure. In total, 20.1 million square meters of housing were commissioned in January–December 2025, representing a 5.1% increase compared with 2024.
Trade maintains positive momentum
The trade sector also continued to expand, with growth of 8.9% in January–December. Wholesale trade accounted for more than two-thirds of total trade turnover and made the largest contribution to growth.
Key drivers of wholesale trade included:
- grain, seeds and animal feed sales (2.6 times increase)
- machinery and equipment (+99.8%)
- pharmaceutical products (+44.1%)
- automobiles and light vehicles (+33%)
- dairy products, eggs, edible oils and fats (+25.8%)
- sugar, chocolate and sugar confectionery (+21.2%)
- a broad range of consumer goods (+12.5%)
Agriculture and digital sectors also grow
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries recorded growth of 5.9%, supported by positive dynamics in crop production (+7.8%) and livestock farming (+3.3%).
The information and communications sector expanded by 3.6%, reflecting the continued development of digital services and communications infrastructure.
Balanced growth underpins economic stability
Overall, the 2025 results demonstrate that Kazakhstan’s economic growth was driven by the stable development of several key sectors simultaneously, reducing reliance on any single industry.
Experts note that this balanced structure strengthens the economy’s resilience to external shocks and provides a solid foundation for sustainable growth in the coming years.
