According to the Numbeo cost of living database, on November 16, 2023, Kazakhstan ranked 80th (with lower rankings indicating lower prices) out of 98 countries worldwide in the affordability of apples, QazMonitor reports.
In our country, one kilogram of apples costs $1.23, while our neighbors Uzbekistan, China, and Russia have prices of $1.20, $1.84, and $1.19, respectively. The cheapest apples were found in Ukraine, where a kilogram cost $0.68 in November, followed by North Macedonia ($0.82) and Poland ($0.91). On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive apples in the world were in South Korea ($6.91), Puerto Rico ($5.96), and the US ($5.36).
In October of this year, EnergyProm analytics noted a 2.1% month-on-month decrease in apple prices in Kazakhstan, while prices increased by 16.5% year-on-year. Regionally, price growth was observed in seven out of twenty regions, with the highest spike recorded in Shymkent (8.6%). Meanwhile, prices remained at the same level in five regions.
In the annual dynamics, price increases were observed in sixteen regions, with the highest increase once again recorded in Shymkent (48.6%), as well as in the Zhetysu (43.4%) and Zhambyl (37.7%) regions.
In October of this year, the average price for apples in stores and markets of large Kazakh cities was ₸601 per kg. The most expensive apples were in Oskemen (₸761), Aktau (₸739), and the capital city, Astana (₸718), while the cheapest were registered in Turkistan (₸471), Shymkent (₸473), and Oral (₸507).
In 2022, the domestic apple harvest amounted to 267,900 tons, a 2% year-on-year increase. The Turkistan region yielded 96,300 tons of apples, a decrease of 12.8% compared to the previous year, while the Almaty region harvested 94,900 tons and the Zhetysu region yielded 31,600 tons.
