In Central Asia’s labor migration landscape, long dominated by men, the participation of women is becoming increasingly visible. According to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), changing economic conditions and evolving social roles are driving more women to seek employment and financial stability abroad, Economist.kg reports.
Data from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs shows that by mid-2024, around 540,000 Kyrgyz citizens were living abroad, with women accounting for 55% — approximately 299,000 individuals.
The main destinations for Kyrgyz labor migrants remain Russia (57%), Kazakhstan (21%), and Turkey (10%). Although the overall number of Kyrgyz migrants abroad has declined by 16% over the past decade, the share of women has risen from 53% in 2015 to 55% in 2024.
Experts attribute this growth not only to economic hardship but also to changing perceptions of women’s roles in society. Increasingly, Kyrgyz women are independently deciding to migrate — to support their families or save money to start their own businesses.
Remittances remain a crucial pillar of Kyrgyzstan’s economy. According to the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan, money transfers exceeded $3 billion in 2023, equivalent to about 17% of the country’s GDP.
At the same time, the number of returning migrants is also growing. In 2024 alone, 48,000 Kyrgyz citizens returned home, 28% of them women. Between 2022 and 2024, approximately 111,000 people came back from nearly 40 countries — mostly from Russia (88%), followed by Turkey, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
The IOM notes that 85% of Kyrgyz migrants leave for economic reasons, underscoring the country’s continuing dependence on foreign labor markets. Analysts emphasize that the rising number of female migrants is not only a social trend but also an economic indicator — reflecting deep transformations within Kyrgyz society.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 21, 2025