Business · Economy · 2 hrs ago
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan report lower poverty, but food costs raise doubts
Uzbekistan says its poverty rate fell to 3.6% by the end of September 2026, from 5.8% at the start of the year.
The government credits more jobs, higher welfare payments, training programs and migrant remittances, much of them from Russia.
Kazakhstan's poverty rate was 5% in June, slightly above its 4.8% rate at the end of 2025.
More than 1 million people in Kazakhstan were below the poverty line, and almost 35,000 were in extreme poverty, defined as income too low to afford basic food.
Household food spending raises questions about the reported rates in both countries.
US data put food bought for home use at 45% of monthly income in Uzbekistan and 42% in Kazakhstan, among the world's highest shares.
Those high food costs suggest many families struggle to make ends meet, even as the governments report progress; poverty rates are above 20% in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan reported progress in reducing poverty, but data on household food spending raise questions about the reported rates.
Uzbekistan’s poverty rate was reported at 3.6 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2026, down from 5.8 percent at the start of the year.
Kazakhstan’s poverty rate stood at 5 percent at the end of June, slightly higher than the 4.8 percent recorded at the end of 2025.
US data compiled in 2025 ranked Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan among the countries with the highest shares of monthly income spent on food.
The figures cover food bought for home consumption and suggest that many families in both countries may be struggling to make ends meet.
- Who
- The governments of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan reported poverty figures; US data on household food spending prompted doubts about them.
- What
- Uzbekistan reported a falling poverty rate, while Kazakhstan reported a slight increase. Food spending data suggest many households face financial pressure.
- When
- The figures cover the first nine months of 2026 in Uzbekistan and the end of June in Kazakhstan; the US food-spending data were compiled in 2025.
- Where
- Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, in Central Asia.
- Why
- Uzbekistan’s ministry cited job growth, higher welfare payments and subsidies, vocational training, formalized employment, and migrant remittances. The sources do not state why Kazakhstan’s rate increased.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Uzbekistan’s reported poverty rate was 5.8 percent.
Kazakhstan’s poverty rate stood at 5 percent, compared with 4.8 percent at the end of 2025.
Uzbekistan’s reported poverty rate had fallen to 3.6 percent.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said annual remittances stood at about $20 billion and could reach $50 billion with expanded training and more job-placement deals.
US data on household food spending placed Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan among the 10 countries with the highest shares of monthly income spent on food.
- Uzbekistan poverty rate
- 3.6 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2026, down from 5.8 percent at the start of the year
- Kazakhstan poverty rate
- 5 percent at the end of June 2026, up from 4.8 percent at the end of 2025
- Food spending share
- Uzbekistan 45 percent; Kazakhstan 42 percent; figures cover food bought for home consumption
- Uzbekistan remittances
- About $20 billion annually, according to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
- Kazakhstan poverty numbers
- Just over 1 million people below the poverty line; almost 35,000 in extreme poverty
What people are saying
the annual total of remittances currently stood at about $20 billion