Transfers To China From Kazakhstan Fall To Six-Year Low

Transfers from Kazakhstan to China through international money transfer systems fell to a six-year low in February. Kazakhstanis sent 711.8 million tenge, the lowest figure in the past six years both in nominal terms and adjusted for inflation, Orda.kz reports, citing the First Credit Bureau.

Compared with February 2025, the volume of transfers fell by 29 % in nominal terms and by 37 % in real terms. At the same time, February is traditionally a weak month: the trend is affected by seasonality and the Chinese New Year, when business activity in China slows.

Despite its status as one of Kazakhstan’s key trading partners, China accounts for a relatively small share of remittances. At the end of 2025, it made up about 3 % of all outbound transfers, while Russia remained the leader with a 31 % share.

In February, transfers to Russia, by contrast, rose to 19.4 billion tenge, up 17 % year on year. Overall, the volume of money sent abroad continues to decline: in total, Kazakhstanis transferred 42.2 billion tenge, 6 % less than a year earlier, or 16 % less after adjusting for inflation.

Analysts note that the decline in transfers to China is part of a long-term trend. Since 2017, the share of this destination has shrunk almost threefold. This may indirectly indicate that international money transfer systems are becoming less popular as a channel for sending funds to China.

Money transfers abroad from Kazakhstan are made through Zolotaya Korona, Western Union, MoneyGram, UPT and other systems. In February, 82 % of all funds sent abroad went through Zolotaya Korona. the report says. 

Original author: Rustam Muratov

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