Why Large Families Face the Highest Poverty Risk in Kazakhstan

Nearly a million people in Kazakhstan live below the subsistence minimum, and large families are the most vulnerable, Orda.kz reports.

The number of Kazakhstanis living below the subsistence minimum continues to grow. According to data for the fourth quarter of 2025, 988,200 people from 172,700 families had incomes below 58,800 tenge per person per month. That is 4.8% of the country’s population.

The gap between urban and rural areas remains stark. The poverty rate in cities stands at 3.6%, compared with 7% in rural areas, meaning villagers are almost twice as likely to live below the subsistence minimum.

Regional differences are also pronounced. In nine of Kazakhstan’s 20 regions, poverty is above the national average. The highest rates were recorded in Turkestan region at 8.4% and Mangystau region at 7.9%. In Astana, by contrast, the figure was 2.6%.

Large families remain the most vulnerable group. Among households with five or more members, 9.1% live below the subsistence minimum. That is 10 times higher than among three-person families and 3.5 times higher than among four-person families. Extreme poverty is also concentrated in larger households.

Large families face the highest risk. Their vulnerability is 75 times higher than that of single-person households. This directly shows that current support measures are falling short.the study says.  

Original author: Ruslan Loginov

Read also:

• Nearly a Million Kazakhstanis Live in Poverty — Economist
• Behind the Numbers: The Hidden Problems in Kazakhstan’s Job Market
• Kazakhstan on Track to Become a High-Income Country by 2028 – Economist