The volume of international money transfers (IMTs) from Kazakhstan continues to grow. According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, in August 2025, residents sent 146.6 thousand transfers worth 75.1 billion tenge (≈ $144 million) — an increase of 3.1% from the previous month, Zakon.kz reports.
Where the Money Goes
Almost all transfers — 97% of the total — were sent abroad, amounting to 72.7 billion tenge (≈ $139.5 million). The main destinations remain Uzbekistan, Russia, and Turkey, which are key directions for labor migrants and small businesses.
Uzbekistan — 27.9 billion tenge (≈ $53.5 million) — 38.4%
Russia — 18.4 billion tenge (≈ $35.3 million) — 25.4%
Turkey — 11.2 billion tenge (≈ $21.5 million) — 15.5%
Georgia — 4.6 billion tenge (≈ $8.8 million) — 6.4%
Kyrgyzstan — 2.5 billion tenge (≈ $4.8 million) — 3.5%
Russia leads by number of transactions (50%), while Uzbekistan shows the largest average transfer amount.
More than half of all transfers were made in Kazakh tenge (56.5%), while US dollars accounted for 34.2%.
Who Sends Money to Kazakhstan
In August, Kazakhstan received 48.4 thousand transfers totaling 20.8 billion tenge (≈ $40 million) — down 6% in number and 1.9% in volume compared to July.
Top sources of inflows:
Russia — 4.9 billion tenge (≈ $9.4 million) — 23.5%
United States — 3.2 billion tenge (≈ $6.2 million) — 15.2%
Uzbekistan — 2.7 billion tenge (≈ $5.2 million) — 12.9%
Turkey — 2.3 billion tenge (≈ $4.4 million) — 11.2%
Germany — 1.6 billion tenge (≈ $3.1 million) — 7.7%
Most incoming transfers are sent in US dollars (58.6%), highlighting a preference for stable foreign currency.
Rising Transfers and a Shift in Leaders
Between April and August 2025, outward transfers rose by 25%, while inbound transfers increased by only 7.8%.
During this period, Uzbekistan overtook Russia as the top recipient: in April, Russia led with 18.1 billion tenge (≈ $34.7 million), but by August, Uzbekistan had surged to 27.9 billion tenge (≈ $53.5 million) — an increase of over 60%.
Kazakhstan thus strengthens its role as a regional hub for labor migration and cross-border financial flows in Central Asia.
CentralasianLight.org
October 8, 2025