On March 12, the Bureau of National Statistics released a report for Q4 2023 on household income and expenses across all regions of Kazakhstan, including major cities like Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent. The survey involved a sample of 11,681 households, offering insight into the spending habits and income dynamics of the population.
QazMonitor presents key takeaways from the report on consumption patterns and income sources of Kazakh citizens.
Important: The data in this report is for the fourth quarter of 2024 as a whole, not for individual months.
Key takeaways
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the average per capita expenditures in Kazakhstan amounted to ₸277,202 (equivalent to $616.11 as of March 14, 2024), which is 12.3% higher than in Q4 2022. The average income per capita totaled ₸305,884 ($682.78), which is 21.2% higher than in Q4 2022.
Income used for consumption on average per capita for the fourth quarter of 2023 amounted to ₸282,072, which is 11.9% higher than in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Regionwide, the greatest increase in income was noted in Astana. Among the regions with the lowest level of income used for consumption are recorded in the city of Shymkent and in the Turkistan region. The income level in these regions is 27% lower than the national average.
Income
The average per capita income amounted to ₸305,884 ($682.78). Predominantly sourced from labor, this income totaled ₸227,947 ($508.82), comprising ₸199,399 ($445.09) of employment wages and ₸28,548 ($63.72) of self-employment income. Other income sources included social payments such as pensions — ₸51,240 ($114.38), benefits — ₸11,340 ($25.31), stipends — ₸1,448 ($3.23), financial help from relatives, acquaintances and alimony — ₸7,266 ($16.13), property income — ₸1,468 ($3.28), and miscellaneous monetary receipts — ₸5,016 ($11.20).
Expenditures
In the final quarter of 2023, the average per capita expenditures reached ₸277,202 ($616.11). Among these expenses, consumer spending accounted for ₸256,687 ($570.52), with food expenses constituting ₸142,169 ($315.99). Notably, non-food expenses totaled ₸66,268 ($147.29), while paid services amounted to ₸48,250 ($107.24). The remaining expenditures include material assistance to relatives, acquaintances and alimony — ₸5,362 ($11.92), taxes and other payments — ₸334 ($0.74), loan and debt repayments — ₸14,819 ($32.94).
Consumer spending
Within the ₸256,687 ($570.52) consumer spending total, ₸142,169 ($315.99) was allocated to food expenses, with ₸129,953 ($290.08) spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages. Eating out accounted for ₸6,070 ($13.55), while purchases of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products totaled ₸1,766 ($3.94) and ₸3,970 ($8.86), respectively. Meanwhile, non-food product expenses averaged ₸66,268 ($147.92) per capita, with paid services amounting to ₸48,250 ($107.70) per resident.
Food expenses
Within the total food and non-alcoholic beverages expenditure per capita, which amounted to ₸129,953 ($290.08), diverse allocations were observed across various categories. Notably, ₸44,184 ($98.63) was dedicated to meat and meat products, ₸20,633 ($46.06) to bakery and whole grain products, ₸13,704 ($30.59) to dairy products, and ₸5,767 ($12.87) to fish and seafood. Additionally, expenditures on oils and fats totaled ₸6,630 ($14.80), while fruits accounted for ₸11,487 ($25.64) and vegetables ₸8,273 ($18.47). Sugar, confectionery, and sweets combined to ₸8,843 ($19.74). Non-alcoholic beverages concluded the list with an expenditure of ₸5,515 ($12.31). The remaining ₸2,045 ($4.56) was spent on not classified food products.
Non-food expense items
Non-food expense items averaged ₸66,268 ($147.29) per capita. Notable expenditures included ₸22,465 ($50.15) on clothing, shoes, and fabrics, ₸11,680 ($26.07) on furniture, household items and appliances, ₸1,275 ($2.85) on maintenance and repair materials for residential premises, and ₸3,458 ($7.72) on gas and other fuels.
Medicines and medical equipment — ₸3,808 ($8.5), motor vehicles and automotive lubricants and fluids — ₸12,031 ($26.86), audiovisual and photographic equipment, information processing equipment — ₸1,093 ($2.44), telephone and fax equipment — ₸2,304 ($5.14), other large consumer durables for leisure and cultural events — ₸49 ($0.11).
Other goods and equipment for leisure, garden and pets — ₸705 ($1.57), newspapers, books and stationery — ₸444 ($0.99), electrical personal care appliances — ₸184 ($0.41), personal hygiene products — ₸5,651($12.61), personal care items not classified elsewhere — ₸1,121 ($2.5).
Services
Among paid service expenses totaling ₸48,250 ($107.70) per capita, notable allocations included ₸14,443 ($32.24) for housing maintenance and utilities, ₸4,241 ($9.47) for education, ₸3,499 ($7.81) for healthcare, and ₸6,320 ($14.11) for transport services. Additionally, expenditures on communication services and leisure/cultural activities amounted to ₸8,590 ($19.17) and ₸2,623 ($5.85), respectively.
Restaurants and cafes — ₸2,036 ($4.54), hotel services — ₸40 ($0.089), sewing, cleaning, repairing clothes — ₸310 ($0.69), shoe repair — ₸81 ($0.18), furniture repair and restoration — ₸33 ($0.074), repair of household appliances and metal products — ₸174 ($0.39), repair of audiovisual equipment, photographic equipment — ₸39 ($0.087), other services — ₸5,821 ($12.99).
