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A social media discussion has ignited across platforms, particularly Threads, centered around a chart titled "Scale of Socio-Economic Status of Citizens" for Almaty residents. This chart categorizes individuals into various income brackets, ranging from the less fortunate to the ultra-wealthy.

Understanding the Income Brackets

According to the widely shared table, those earning up to 250,000 tenge per month are classified as "low-income." Individuals with incomes between 250,000 and 450,000 tenge are labeled "poor." The "middle class" is defined as earning between 650,000 and 1 million tenge monthly.

Further up the scale, income earners between 5 million and 15 million tenge are designated as "millionaires." Those with incomes ranging from 15 million to 100 million tenge are described as "multimillionaires."

Official Classification: Does it Exist?

The rapid spread of this post has led to widespread debate among users about whether such an official classification exists. In response to public inquiry, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan has provided clarification.

The Ministry stated that there is no officially approved scale with specific income thresholds that categorizes citizens' socio-economic status, such as "low-income," "poor," or "transitional class." This applies to Almaty as well.

How Social Support is Determined

Officials explained that to assess citizens' needs and determine eligibility for certain social support measures, a methodology for assessing the socio-economic well-being of families (or individuals) is employed. This methodology involves a comprehensive evaluation of a family's circumstances.

The assessment considers not only income but also factors like existing debts, property ownership, the number of children, health status, and other socio-economic indicators. Therefore, Kazakhstan does not have a single, official table that categorizes citizens solely based on their income level for financial status.

However, the Bureau of National Statistics does divide the population into 10 income deciles on a quarterly basis. The first decile represents the bottom 10% of the population by income, while the last decile represents the top 10%.