Kumis prices in Kazakhstan have increased by 14.2% over the past year, while production of the drink has shown steady growth, though output of shubat fluctuates, reports infohub.kz.
In the long term, kumis has demonstrated the most stable development among traditional national drinks. Compared to 2015, its annual output has increased 2.2 times. The highest production volume was achieved in 2022, when 2,200 tonnes of kumis were produced. In subsequent years, figures declined, and by the end of 2025, output was 33.6% lower than the record level.
Shubat production, on the other hand, is more volatile. The peak was in 2020, when 4,200 tonnes were produced. After that, volumes mostly decreased, reaching 1,100 tonnes in 2024. Although shubat production grew significantly in 2025, it still remained 44.2% below the maximum level and roughly matched volumes recorded ten years earlier in 2015.
Meanwhile, kumis prices continue to rise. Throughout the first half of 2026, monthly increases occurred: 2.1% in January, 2% in February, 1.2% in March, 1.3% in April and May, and 0.3% in June. Year-on-year in June, kumis prices were up 14.2%. For comparison, in June last year the annual price increase was 8.5%. The current figure is the highest for June since 2023, when the drink rose 19.5%.