(5 March 2026 | Source: press office of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan)
The volume of loans to the population in Kazakhstan increased slightly in January 2026, despite rising interest rates. According to the financial regulator, the total volume of citizen loans reached 24.8 trillion tenge, increasing by 0.2% over the month.
HOW LOAN RATES CHANGED
According to the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM RK), in the consumer loan segment, the average rate rose by 2.8 percentage points to 22.3%. Meanwhile, the total volume of such loans remained virtually unchanged over the month, standing at 16.7 trillion tenge.
The mortgage lending sector also showed growth. The total volume of mortgage loans increased by 0.5% to reach 7 trillion tenge.
For entrepreneurs, loans became even more expensive. The average rate on business loans rose to 22.7%, and for individual entrepreneurs it reached 31.6%.
WHY DEPOSITS ARE DECREASING
In January, banks also recorded a decline in deposits. According to the regulator, deposits of legal entities fell by 7.6%, and household deposits by 0.7%.
The financial regulator attributes this trend to seasonal factors — the withdrawal of funds for operational activities and alternative investments.