Nearly one million people living below the poverty line in Kazakhstan
Published by the Economic Research Institute, Kazakhstan
05.10.2023
Nearly one million people living below the poverty line in Kazakhstan
The Office of National Statistics has published figures on population living standards for the second quarter of 2023.
In the second quarter of 2023, the number of households with incomes below the subsistence minimum reached 177,800, up 9.4% compared to last year. The number of Kazakhstanis living below the poverty line has also increased to one million people. In 2022, this figure was 971,000, a rise of 4.6%.
Number of households with incomes lower than the subsistence level
- This chart presents information from the 2nd quarters of 2014-2023. The dark blue bars denote households with incomes below the subsistence minimum (,000s of units). The light blue line refers to population (,000s of people).
Regionally, the largest number of households with incomes below the subsistence minimum are in Turkestan (27,415), Dzhambul (12,109), Akmola (11,201), Mangistau (10,412) oblasts and the cities of Almaty (18,479) and Shymkent (13,040).
Compared to the same period last year, the biggest increase in the number of low-income households was seen in the regions of Ulytau (by 86.8%), Abay (50.9%) and the city of Almaty (40.5%).
The fewest number of households with incomes below the poverty line were seen in the regions of Ulytau (1,588 units), Atyrau (2,570) and East Kazakhstan region (5,096).
There is little difference in the number of households with incomes below the subsistence level in terms of locality. In cities, such households comprise 88,500 units and 89,200 units in villages.
At the same time, the number of people with incomes below the subsistence minimum is higher in rural areas – 560,700 compared to 455,600 in urban areas.
Populations with incomes below the subsistence level (Economic Research Institute)
Name Number of households, units Population, numbers
| 2nd quarter 2022 | 2nd quarter 2023 | 2nd quarter, 2023
2nd quarter 2022,% |
2nd quarter 2022 | 2nd quarter 2023 | 2nd quarter 2023
2nd quarter 2022, % |
|
| Republic of Kazakhstan | 162 495 | 17,797 | 109,4 | 971,228 | 1,016,434 | 104,7 |
| Abai | 6,433 | 9,705 | 150,9 | 33,087 | 46,241 | 139,8 |
| Akmola | 8,860 | 11,201 | 126,4 | 44,846 | 43,167 | 96,3 |
| Aktobe | 5,949 | 6,109 | 102,7 | 31,227 | 32,919 | 105,4 |
| Almaty | 5,862 | 6,812 | 116,2 | 36,148 | 47,885 | 132,5 |
| Atari | 3,118 | 2,570 | 82,4 | 21,982 | 20,309 | 92,4 |
| Baltic-Kazakhstan | 5,395 | 5,340 | 99,0 | 28,316 | 30,292 | 107,0 |
| Dzhambul | 9,256 | 12,109 | 130,8 | 60,606 | 70,740 | 116,7 |
| Zhetsyu | 6,206 | 8,926 | 143,8 | 48,988 | 53,928 | 110,1 |
| Karaganda | 8,401 | 7,043 | 83,8 | 34,936 | 35,649 | 102,0 |
| Kostanay | 8,965 | 5,868 | 65,5 | 40,602 | 29,259 | 72,1 |
| Kyzylorda | 6,106 | 6,869 | 112,5 | 38,207 | 43,810 | 114,7 |
| Mangystau | 11,050 | 10,412 | 94,2 | 55,929 | 51,614 | 92,3 |
| Pavlodar | 4,806 | 5,458 | 113,6 | 29,246 | 29,382 | 100,5 |
| Soltustik-Kazakhstan | 7,780 | 6,188 | 79,5 | 33,281 | 25,615 | 77,0 |
| Turkistan | 27,415 | 27,049 | 98,7 | 218,052 | 207,656 | 95,2 |
| Ulytau | 850 | 1,588 | 186,8 | 4,672 | 9,855 | 210,9 |
| Shigis-Kazakhstan | 5,080 | 5,096 | 100,3 | 30,133 | 27,955 | 92,8 |
| Astana | 5,814 | 7,935 | 136,5 | 22,547 | 35,271 | 156,4 |
| Almaty | 13,152 | 18,479 | 140,5 | 89,447 | 98,075 | 109,6 |
| Shymkent | 11,997 | 13,040 | 108,7 | 68,976 | 76,812 | 111,4 |
Source: https://stat.gov.uk.kz/ru/industries/labor-and-income/stat-life/publications
Moreover, in the second quarter of this year, the number of households with incomes below the market basket measure (MBM) increased 2.5 times compared to the same period in 2022. Now, there are 9,400 such households in Kazakhstan in which 59,400 now live which is 2.6 times higher than more than a year ago.
It should be remembered that the MBM is a minimum set of food items based on scientifically-based consumption standards necessary to meet a person’s physiological needs.
The value of the subsistence minimum in relation to the average per capita per month in the country was 47,800 tenge, with the amount of income spent on consumption on average per capita amounting to 88,400 tenge.
The proportion of income spent on consumption in relation to the subsistence minimum was 184.7%, with 204% in cities and 153.4% in rural areas.
It should be noted that the majority of poor people are families with several children. Therefore, out of one million people with incomes below the subsistence minimum, 84% (854,400) live in households consisting of five or more people.
It is a similar picture for those with incomes below the MBM. Of the 59,400 people with incomes below the MBM, 58,600 are members of households comprising four-five or more people.
Source: https://economy.kz.ru/Novosti_instituta/id=5989
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