Kazakhstan pawnshops post 36.9 bln tenge H1 profit as regulator weighs reporting change

October 1, 2026 at 09:35 AM2 min

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Kazakhstan's pawnshops earned 36.9 billion tenge in net profit in January–June 2026, up 18.3% year-on-year. The financial regulator proposes removing delinquency details on pawnshop loans secured by personal property from credit reports. The change would keep the loan contract visible while excluding overdue days, penalty amounts, and last payment date.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's pawnshops earned 36.9 billion tenge in net profit in January–June 2026, an 18.3% increase from the same period in 2025.
The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market proposes excluding overdue days, overdue payment amounts, fines, penalties, and last payment date from credit reports for pawnshop microloans secured by personal property.
Pawnshop assets reached 669.8 billion tenge as of July 1, 2026, accounting for 18.9% of total assets of microfinance organizations.
In the first half of 2023, pawnshops earned 13.7 billion tenge, meaning profit has grown approximately 2.7 times over three years.
The regulator recorded a decline in the volume of consumer microloans issued by pawnshops in the second quarter of 2026.

Proposed Reporting Change

The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market has proposed changing how pawnshop loans secured by personal property appear in credit reports. The proposal would remove information on the number of overdue days, the amount of overdue payments, fines and penalties, and the date of the last payment. The loan contract itself would remain visible in the credit report as long as it is active. The regulator's rationale is that such microloans are fully secured by property, and failure to redeem the collateral does not necessarily indicate an inability to service other debts.

Pawnshop Profit Growth

Kazakhstan's pawnshops earned 36.9 billion tenge in net profit in January–June 2026, an 18.3% increase from the same period in 2025. The growth rate has slowed: profit rose 31.4% in the first half of 2025 and 72.9% in the first half of 2024. In January–June 2023, pawnshops earned 13.7 billion tenge, meaning profit has grown approximately 2.7 times over three years. Pawnshop assets reached 669.8 billion tenge as of July 1, 2026, accounting for 18.9% of total assets of microfinance organizations.

Market Dynamics

The regulator recorded a decline in the volume of consumer microloans issued by pawnshops in the second quarter of 2026. Most market participants ended the first half of 2026 with a profit. Under current rules, pawnshops must hold pledged property for at least 30 days before selling it or taking ownership, during which time the borrower may still repay the debt and reclaim the item.