In Kazakhstan, the number of criminal offenses registered in January-June decreased by 11.7% compared to the same period last year. However, every third offense is related to fraud, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Ranking.kz portal, 57,000 criminal offenses were recorded in the country in the first six months of 2026, which is 11.7% less than in the same period last year. Over ten years, this figure has decreased by 3.6 times. "Compared to the same period in 2016, the indicator decreased by 3.6 times. The reduction was observed almost every year, with the exception of 2022," the study authors note.
Fraud remains the most common category of criminal offenses. In January-June, 19,500 such cases were registered, which is 14.6% less than a year earlier. However, fraud accounts for 34.2% of all registered criminal offenses. "The number of fraud cases during the same period decreased by only 2.4%, from 20,000 to 19,500. As a result, their share in the overall structure has significantly increased," analysts write.
The number of thefts decreased by 16% over the year, amounting to 10,300 cases. Drug-related offenses were registered at 4,100, which is 6.8% less than the previous year. There was also a continued decline in other types of crimes: murders decreased to 203, robberies to 453, assaults to 28, hooliganism to 601, and extortion to 290. "Among the presented types of criminal offenses, growth was recorded only for rapes. Their number increased by 2.2%, from 226 to 231," the study says.
The largest number of criminal offenses in January-June was registered in Almaty — 10,400. Next are Astana with 7,400 cases and the Almaty region, where 4,400 offenses were recorded. A decrease in indicators was noted in all regions of the country, most notably in the Karaganda and Akmola regions.
The authors of the review also draw attention to the ongoing digitalization of criminal proceedings. In the first half of 2026, 52,700 criminal offenses were registered electronically, or 92.5% of the total. "Digitalization has increased the efficiency and completeness of accounting, made the criminal process more transparent, strengthened departmental control and prosecutorial supervision. It also helps to respect the rights of participants in the process and exclude cases of concealment of crimes," the Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Records of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan notes.
At the same time, the number of persons who committed criminal offenses decreased. In January-June 2026, there were 28,500, which is 4.3% less than a year earlier. The largest number was registered in Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Almaty and Turkestan regions.
The review emphasizes that over the past ten years, traditional property and street crimes have become significantly less frequent. At the same time, fraud remains almost at the same level, which is why its share in the overall structure of criminal offenses continues to grow.