Average wages in Kazakhstan are nominally rising, but inflation is eroding the gains: in real terms, salaries for most specialists have fallen. According to analysts at BCC Invest, the average salary in the first quarter of 2026 was 461,500 tenge, but adjusted for inflation, it declined by 2.3% year-on-year, reports infohub.kz.
The most notable drop in real incomes was recorded in the IT sector — down 8.0% (average salary 883,837 tenge). Education saw a 6.7% decline (315,100 tenge), and the hotel and restaurant sector fell 6.4% (365,066 tenge). These industries were among the main casualties of rising prices.
At the same time, several sectors showed growth in real wages. Agriculture led with a 7.7% increase (average salary 299,513 tenge). The financial sector gained 5.7% (1,010,271 tenge), water supply rose 4.3% (333,310 tenge), manufacturing increased 2.1% (291,537 tenge), and transport grew 1.1% (654,342 tenge).
Regionally, real wages only increased in the Abay region — up 2.4% over the year. Analysts also note serious imbalances: a twofold gap in pay between regions, a threefold gap between different economic sectors, and a difference of about 37% between urban and rural areas.
A positive trend remains the growth in formal employment: Kazakh citizens are more frequently signing labor contracts, strengthening their financial and social protection. Earlier, experts emphasized that even a high salary does not guarantee security, making savings critically important for citizens.