The President’s 2024 Address: What has changed in Kazakhstan over the year

The 2024 Address became a starting point for the launch of a number of large-scale initiatives that are already producing tangible results. Kazakhstan’s GDP grew by 6.2% in the first half of 2025, a record figure over the past 12–14 years. The drivers of growth were both the real sector, which expanded by 8%, and the service sector, which grew by 5.2%. Investment activity also strengthened significantly: the most notable increases were seen in manufacturing (+86.2%), the transport industry (+32.8%), as well as in socially important areas — education and healthcare.

According to economist Rasul Rysmambetov, economic growth will continue, and this will generate public optimism.

“Kazakhstan has become the first country in the CIS in terms of GDP per capita. In addition, the international rating agency Standard & Poor’s upgraded its outlook on Kazakhstan’s economy from stable to positive. This means that the next step will be a rating upgrade. I believe that two to three years of sustained growth will strengthen public optimism.”

Government data shows that as a result of the measures taken, the trade sector is demonstrating steady growth. Between January and July 2025, trade turnover increased by 8.6%, while investments grew by 37% in the first half of the year, reaching 438 billion tenge.

The 2024 Address also touched on modernization in education — the national project “Comfortable School” was launched, providing for the construction of 217 modern schools by the end of 2025.

In addition, projects are being implemented to integrate AI into public administration in the field of digitalization and the introduction of artificial intelligence. This helps reduce the shadow economy, cut administrative barriers, and improve transparency in budget spending.

The 2024 Address, “Fair Kazakhstan: Law and Order, Economic Growth, Public Optimism,” also paid special attention to the development of the agro-industrial complex. This is hardly surprising, since agriculture is considered a key sector of the economy, ensuring food security, creating jobs, and boosting the country’s export potential.

According to official data, in January–July 2025 the volume of gross agricultural output grew by 3.7% to 2.4 trillion tenge. Growth was driven by higher output in both livestock and crop production.

Investments in fixed capital in agriculture reached 442.7 billion tenge (+26.5%), while investments in food production amounted to 104.2 billion (+48%).

At the same time, support for domestic entrepreneurship is being strengthened: access to financial instruments for small and medium-sized businesses has been expanded, volumes of government procurement have increased with priority given to domestic content, and long-term off-take contracts have been introduced, guaranteeing stable demand for Kazakhstani producers.

An important social effect has been the development of the “Taza Kazakhstan” environmental movement, which has brought together more than ten million citizens, giving new impetus to the formation of environmental culture and the modernization of environmental oversight.

As noted by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI) under the President, an important focus of the 2024 Address was the enhancement of the country’s labor potential. Today, Kazakhstan’s labor market faces a number of challenges: on one hand, steady population growth; on the other, the digitalization of the economy.

Thus, 2025 was declared the Year of Vocational Professions, which launched a large-scale reform aimed at raising the prestige of vocational specialties and the system of technical and vocational education. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, 1.6 million new specialists will be needed in the country over the next five years, 403,000 of them in vocational professions.

“Already today, 1.3 million people are employed in vocational professions, about 40% of all workers. However, many problems have accumulated in this field — the quality of skills, the low share of employed graduates, and insufficient involvement of enterprises in dual education. For example, as part of the modernization of TVE (technical and vocational education), per capita funding for colleges has doubled, which will make it possible to raise teachers’ salaries and improve the material and technical base of institutions,” commented Anna Alshanskaya, Head of the Economic Policy Analysis Department at KISI under the President.

Development of the economic sector

Political scientist Alibek Tazhibaev, Director of the Eurasian Monitoring Center for Analytical Research, noted that Kazakhstan’s economic dynamics over the past year show qualitative shifts, confirming the effectiveness of the decisions announced in the 2024 Address.

“GDP indicators reflect the diversification of the economy and the gradual transition to a more sustainable development model, where alongside traditional industries new growth points are emerging. Special attention is given to construction and transport, which today act as locomotives of economic modernization and reflect the structural restructuring of the economy in response to future challenges,” the expert commented.

It should be noted that over the past year the state has emphasized improving business conditions and the investment climate. According to the expert, the new preferential lending program “Örleu” strengthens economic modernization, since financing is directed to key industries such as manufacturing, agricultural processing, logistics, and the social sector.

“Attention has also been given to digitalization and the introduction of digital technologies in state–business interaction. As a rule, digital technologies help accelerate business processes, reduce costs, and increase transparency. For example, the eGov Business mobile app was launched as a digital assistant to support entrepreneurs,” said Anna Alshanskaya.

Overall, the country’s economy is moving toward a consistent modernization of its model and the elimination of systemic problems that have accumulated over many years.

Kazakhstan – leading transit hub of Eurasia

In the transport and logistics sector, Kazakhstan has seen large-scale implementation of the President’s instructions over the past year, aimed at strengthening the country’s role as a key transit hub of Eurasia. In particular, the Head of State’s Address set the task of uniting efforts with partner countries — China, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey — to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

Currently, about 13,000 kilometers of highways are being repaired in Kazakhstan, while new strategic routes are under construction, including Astana–Arkalyk–Torgay–Yrgyz, part of the “Center–West” project, and the Beineu–Saksaulsky direction.

In the railway sector, the construction of 1,300 kilometers of new lines is underway, which will significantly increase the network’s capacity and ensure growth in transit traffic.

As emphasized by expert Alibek Tazhibaev, airport terminals and the seaports of Aktau and Kuryk are being modernized, with multimodal solutions introduced to integrate various types of transport. This is already yielding results — reflected in the increase in cargo traffic along the TITR.

“The results are already tangible: cargo volumes on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons, and by 2028 this figure is expected to reach 10 million tons. All this demonstrates a systematic approach to the development of transport infrastructure and Kazakhstan’s ability to respond promptly to the growing interest of global partners in transit routes through Eurasia,” said the political scientist.

What to expect in the new 2025 Address

Experts are confident that the upcoming Presidential Address in 2025 will most likely focus on several strategically important areas.

“The central place will be occupied by further introduction of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which have already proven effective in public administration and economic regulation,” believes Alibek Tazhibaev.

In addition, emphasis will likely be placed on the development of the domestic consumer market and the stimulation of production with high added value, which is important for enhancing the country’s competitiveness in global markets.

Furthermore, in the face of growing external risks, special attention is expected to be given to strengthening food, energy, and transport security, which will allow Kazakhstan to maintain resilience to global challenges. Experts also predict that significant space will be devoted to social reforms, including healthcare, education, and environmental initiatives, which will be adapted to new realities and international trends.

It is important to note that Kazakhstan is now moving toward a new paradigm of economic development, where the key condition is the effective use of the country’s competitive advantages and the unlocking of the potential of the main factors of production — labor, capital, resources, and technology.

“The most valuable resource of any economy is human capital. The main priority should be placed on expanding opportunities for quality education, adapting the labor market to new realities, and developing new forms of employment,” concluded Alshanskaya.

Thus, the 2025 Address will become a logical continuation of the course toward balanced development, where high rates of economic growth will be combined with stability and the social orientation of state policy.

Earlier, it was reported that Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is set to address the nation on September 8 at a joint session of the Parliament chambers.