Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Kazakhstan's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.1% in the first half of 2026, according to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, who presented the country's socio-economic results for January–June during a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, AzerNEWS reports.

Bektenov noted that the strongest contribution to economic growth came from the manufacturing sector, where output increased by 9.8%. Strong growth was also recorded in construction (15.2%), transportation (7.1%), trade (5.7%), agriculture (4.4%), and communications (4.3%).

Investment activity also remained robust. Investment in fixed assets reached 9.5 trillion tenge (approximately $20.3 billion), while private investment rose by 21.4%, reflecting continued business confidence and expanding economic activity.

To further diversify the economy, the government plans to launch 200 manufacturing projects this year with a combined value of 1.7 trillion tenge (around $3.6 billion). The projects are expected to create approximately 17,000 permanent jobs, strengthening Kazakhstan's industrial base.

The Prime Minister also updated the President on major infrastructure initiatives, including the construction of a second airport in Astana, the second phase of the Tarlan Astana project, and several large-scale highway developments. In the housing sector, Kazakhstan aims to commission 20 million square meters of new housing this year.

In agriculture, total output is projected to reach 15 trillion tenge (approximately $31.7 billion), while the country's total cultivated area has expanded to 23.8 million hectares, supporting long-term food security and export potential.

President Tokayev was also briefed on the implementation of a comprehensive household income growth program, measures to contain inflation—which stood at 10.3% year-on-year in June—and reforms in social and migration policy. According to the government, the optimization of inefficient social benefit programs is expected to save more than 800 billion tenge (around $1.6 billion) annually, allowing resources to be redirected toward more targeted social support and development initiatives.