Manufacturing drives Kazakhstan’s GDP growth to 3.6%

According to the government press service, Kazakhstan’s economic growth continued to gain momentum in the first quarter, with GDP rising 3% in January–March 2026. Industrial production also returned to growth over the first four months of the year, as the industrial output index reached 102.1%.

A major factor behind the recovery was the manufacturing sector, where output rose by 9.9%. Strong momentum was also seen in mechanical engineering, which grew by 23.3%, driven by increased production of vehicles, agricultural and railway machinery, as well as electrical goods and equipment.

Other sectors posting strong growth included:

• light industry — up 2.3 times
• furniture manufacturing — up 41.7%
• pharmaceuticals — up 35.2%
• construction materials — up 27.7%
• chemical industry — up 18.4%
• food production — up 14.4%

Overall, the positive economic performance during the first four months of the year was driven by steady growth across key sectors. The highest growth rates were recorded in:

• construction — 114.5%
• transport and warehousing — 112%
• manufacturing — 109.9%
• trade — 105.1%
• agriculture — 103.6%

“The current structure of real GDP growth reflects the increasing role of non-resource sectors, particularly construction, transport, trade, and manufacturing,” the Government added.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that car production in Kazakhstan had increased in the first quarter of 2026.