How much money labor migrants transfer: Kazakhstan compared with neighboring countries

Tengrinews.kz — The role of foreign remittances varies significantly across regional economies. While they account for just 0.1% of GDP in Kazakhstan, the figure reaches 14.4% in Uzbekistan and nearly 48% in Tajikistan. Analysts at Finprom.kz have highlighted these distinct cross-border payment trends.

Kazakhstan: Outbound transfers outpace inflows

Between January and April 2026, 184.4 billion tenge was sent abroad from Kazakhstan via money transfer systems, down slightly from 190.5 billion tenge during the same period last year.

Inbound remittances also saw a decline, falling from 67.7 billion to 63.1 billion tenge. Consequently, outbound transfers from Kazakhstan were nearly triple the amount received over the four-month period.

This ratio has been a long-standing trend, underscoring that incoming remittances represent a relatively minor portion of the Kazakhstani economy.

Top destinations for transfers from Kazakhstan

Russia remains the primary destination. From January to April 2026, transfers to Russia totaled 79.5 billion tenge, up from 66.5 billion tenge a year earlier.

Uzbekistan ranked second with 32.6 billion tenge, followed by Turkey with 31.3 billion tenge. Significant sums were also sent to Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, China, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

The largest share of inbound funds to Kazakhstan came from Russia (14.2 billion tenge), followed by the USA (10.6 billion), Turkey (8.1 billion), and Uzbekistan (6.7 billion).

Remittance flows between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Analysts specifically examined the exchange of funds between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In the first four months of 2026, 32.6 billion tenge was sent from Kazakhstan to its neighbor, while only 6.7 billion tenge flowed in the opposite direction—a nearly fivefold difference.

This disparity has persisted for years. For instance, in January–April 2015, Kazakhstan sent 11.3 billion tenge to Uzbekistan and received 2.4 billion. By 2021, these figures stood at 56.1 billion and 16.3 billion tenge, respectively.

Global impact of remittances by country

According to World Bank data, global remittances averaged 0.8% of GDP in 2024. However, in certain countries, these inflows play a far more substantial role in the national economy.

The highest dependence was recorded in Tajikistan, where remittance volumes were equivalent to 47.9% of the country's GDP.

Other high-ranking nations include Kyrgyzstan (26.6% of GDP according to the latest 2022 data), Nepal (26.2%), Honduras (25.7%), and Samoa and El Salvador (both at 24%).

In Uzbekistan, foreign remittances accounted for 14.4% of GDP, placing the country among the top 15 globally for remittance dependency.

By comparison, remittances totaled 11.9% of GDP in Georgia, 10.5% in Moldova, 6.3% in Ukraine, and 4.9% in Armenia.

Infographic: Finprom.kz

Key takeaways from the data

In 2024, inbound remittances in Kazakhstan stood at 0.1% of GDP, mirroring Russia's level. Over the past decade, this figure has consistently fluctuated within the 0.1–0.3% range.

During the same period, Uzbekistan’s remittance share rose from 8.4% of GDP in 2014 to 14.4% in 2024.

In Kazakhstan, these transfers function primarily as a channel for private cross-border settlements. The total volume of incoming funds remains negligible relative to the country's overall GDP.

"For Kazakhstan, this is essentially a channel for private cross-border transactions: the country sends more funds abroad than it receives, and inbound transfers carry no significant weight in the broader economy," the analysts noted.