Imported Chocolate, Cocoa and Optics Have Risen Sharply in Price in Kazakhstan
Photo: elements.envato.com
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, certain imported goods have become significantly more expensive in Kazakhstan over the past year — from chocolate and cocoa to optical devices, Orda.kz reports.
In March 2026, import prices overall rose 3.5% year-on-year. In some categories, however, the growth was far higher.
Sweets stood out the most. Cocoa and cocoa-based products rose 45.6% in price, while chocolate and other cocoa products went up 47%. Supplies from EAEU countries saw even steeper increases: cocoa up 50.7%, chocolate up 50.9%.
Optical, measuring and control devices from the EAEU also jumped sharply — by 37.5%. This category covers equipment used in medicine, industry, laboratories and other fields.
Other imported goods that rose in price:
- Fish and seafood — up 14.4%
- Margarine — up 14.4%
- Apples, pears and quince — up 11.7%
- Confectionery without cocoa — up 10.8%
- Paints, varnishes and putties from the EAEU — up 28.5%
- Knitwear from the EAEU — up 29.1%
- Air and vacuum pumps from the EAEU — up 33%
Overall, import prices rose over the year while export prices fell 1.7% — meaning Kazakhstan is paying more on average for foreign goods while getting less for some of its own.
Original author: Alexander Zhdanov
Read also:
Latest news
- Underground Gold Processing Sites Found In East Kazakhstan
- Putin And Tokayev Discuss Energy As Russia Looks For Fuel Imports
- Will Kazakhstan Face A Gasoline Shortage? Energy Ministry Responds
- Transtelecom To Spend Nearly 400 Billion Tenge On Data Center In Ekibastuz
- Kazakhstan To Reappoint Key Officials After New Constitution Takes Effect
- KazMunayGas Says Refinery Repairs Will Not Cause Fuel Shortage
- Tokayev Tells Kazakhstan Deputies To Cut Bureaucracy And Go Digital
- Kazakhstan Rewards 2026 Paralympic Medalists With Cash Payments
- New Schools Not Enough To Close Kazakhstan’s Student Place Gap
- Kazakhstan Plans To Increase Oil Supplies Through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline
- Problem Private Schools In Kazakhstan To Lose Budget Funding
- Kazakhstan Starts Building $1.4 Billion Wind Power Plant In South
- Poachers Kill Red Book Goitered Gazelle In Almaty Region
- Kazakhstan Senate Approves Amnesty For Nearly 300 Million Tenge In Fines
- Kazakhstan Does Not Expect Sharp Rise In Meat Prices, Agriculture Ministry Says
- Illegal Gold Mining Sites Found In Kazakhstan’s Abay Region
- Kazakhstan Senators Step Down At Final Meeting
- Kazakhstan To Borrow Nearly Half A Trillion Tenge To Cover Budget Deficit
- Kazakhstan Returns Fraud Suspect From Albania Over Fake University Admission Scheme
- Aktobe Woman Fined After Feeding Stray Cats
