Kazakhstan women's employment rises 0.9% to 4.53 million in Q1 2026
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
The number of employed women in Kazakhstan rose by 42,600 year-on-year to 4.53 million in the first quarter of 2026, the Bureau of National Statistics reported on July 27. Education remained the largest employer with 902,200 women, followed by trade and healthcare.
Employment by Sector
The education sector employed 902,200 women, or 19.9% of the total, making it the largest. Wholesale and retail trade followed with 877,600 women (19.4%), and healthcare and social services with 426,300 (9.4%). Industry accounted for 388,100 women (8.6%), and agriculture, forestry and fishing for 351,200 (7.8%). Among the 4.53 million employed women, 3.60 million worked as employees and 925,100 were self-employed.
Annual Growth Trends
Real estate operations saw the fastest annual growth in female employment at 25.7%, followed by administrative and support services at 21.9%, transportation and warehousing at 16.2%, and industry at 7.6%. Regionally, Karaganda region led with a 7.8% increase, followed by Aktobe region (6.5%), Almaty city (6.3%), and Turkistan region (6.1%). Urban areas accounted for 3.01 million employed women, compared to 1.52 million in rural areas.
What's Next
The next quarterly survey data is expected to be released in October 2026. It remains unclear whether the growth trajectory will persist amid broader economic pressures.
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Kazakhstan women's employment rises 0.9% to 4.53 million in Q1 2026
