In December 2024, the inflation rate in Kazakhstan significantly increased. In Astana, annual inflation reached 10.7%, while in the Karaganda region it was 9.6%. Overall, inflation growth was observed in 10 regions across the country, according to the national portal “Adyrna.”
At the end of 2023, the annual inflation rate in Kazakhstan was 8.6%, indicating an acceleration compared to the previous year. Food prices rose by 5.5% year-on-year, with significant increases recorded in the Zhetysu and Turkistan regions.
In the Turkistan region, non-food items also saw a considerable price increase. The lowest inflation rate was recorded in the Pavlodar region at 5.3%.
In December 2024, monthly inflation rose by 0.9%, which is above previous average levels. The price increase was particularly noticeable in food and essential household goods.
MP Daulet Mukayev commented on this on his social media page.
“Prices are skyrocketing. Look at the potato prices in Astana. The anti-monopoly committee is doing nothing. Even the supposedly affordable Magnum has these prices. Until recently, potatoes were priced at 150-180 tenge per kilogram. It’s not just potatoes that are more expensive. The only thing that hasn’t increased is wages…
In our country, 52-56% of the average salary is spent solely on food. This is comparable to economically struggling African countries: Nigeria spends 59%, Myanmar 56.6%, Kenya 56.1%, Bangladesh 52.7%, Laos 50.6%, and Angola 49.7%. Out of 105 countries, we are at the bottom of the list.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., only 6.7% of the average monthly income is spent on food, 8.4% in Singapore, and 8.7% in the UK. Even in war-torn Russia, the figure is 29%, while in Ukraine it is 41.6%. In Belarus, people spend 32.1%, in Turkmenistan 36.9%, and in Uzbekistan 46.5% of their income on food,” he wrote.
