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The number of citizens in Kazakhstan living below the poverty line has tripled in recent years, signaling a growing economic challenge for the nation. Data from the fourth quarter of 2025 reveals that approximately 4.8% of the population, equating to nearly 988,200 individuals or 172,700 families, earned less than the subsistence minimum per month.

Rural Poverty Surges

While poverty rates in urban areas remained relatively stable at 3.6%, rural areas experienced a notable increase, climbing from 6.8% to 7%. This trend means that nine out of Kazakhstan's 20 regions now exceed the national average poverty level. The highest rates were recorded in the Turkistan region at 8.4% and the Mangystau region at 7.9%, where roughly one in every twelve residents struggles to meet basic living costs.

Regions Facing Economic Strain

The Atyrau region also reported a concerning poverty rate of 7.4%, alongside the Zhetysu region at 7%, highlighting these areas as particular hotspots for economic hardship.

Extreme Poverty on the Rise

A particularly alarming trend is the threefold increase in the proportion of people earning less than the minimum food basket value. This figure now stands at 0.3% nationwide, a significant jump compared to previous periods. While this rise was more pronounced in cities, increasing from 0.1% to 0.3%, the rural rate remained at 0.2%. The Ulytau region saw a dramatic surge in extreme poverty, reaching 3%, which is ten times the national average.

Large Families Most Vulnerable

Large families, particularly those with five or more children, continue to be the most vulnerable demographic. A staggering 9.1% of these families live below the subsistence minimum. This is 3.5 times higher than families with four children (2.6%) and ten times higher than those with three children (0.9%).

Extreme poverty is also more prevalent in larger households, with 0.4% earning less than the cost of a food basket, compared to near-zero rates in smaller families. These statistics were compiled by Energyprom.

This information was reported by the Infohub.kz news agency.