The economy of Astana grew at double-digit rates in 2025, but high inflation significantly reduced the impact of wage increases. This was the conclusion reached by the Astana Audit Commission after analysing the city's budget execution for 2025.
WHAT THE BUDGET AUDIT SHOWED
According to BES.media, citing the conclusion of the Astana Audit Commission on the report on the capital's budget execution, over the first nine months of 2025, the gross regional product reached 11.55 trillion tenge, and the economy in real terms grew by 11.5%. The capital's share of the country's gross domestic product was 11.6%, the second-highest figure after Almaty.
The highest growth was recorded in the construction industry. The volume of construction work increased by 32.7%, reaching 1.55 trillion tenge. Approximately 4.8 million square metres of housing were brought into use, 8.5% more than a year earlier. Fixed capital investments amounted to almost 2.5 trillion tenge, an increase of 21.3%.
WHY THE INCOME GROWTH WAS ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLE
Inflation in Astana reached 12.8%, exceeding the national average. Paid services became 15.4% more expensive.
Among the most notable price changes were increases in water supply tariffs by 73.5%, wastewater disposal by 55%, and waste collection by 47.5%. There were also price rises for beef (22.2%), fish (21.6%), onions (53.4%), potatoes (48.4%), rental housing (16.1%), and medical laboratory services (21%).
The average nominal salary increased by 14.1%, reaching 576,200 tenge. However, real wages, accounting for inflation, rose by only 1.2%.
WHAT OTHER INDICATORS THE AUDITORS NOTED
According to the report, consumer spending accounted for 88.9% of all monetary expenditures by the capital's residents. A further 9.1% went towards loan repayments and other debt obligations.
The official unemployment rate fell from 4.4% to 4.3%. At the same time, the auditors noted that the absolute number of unemployed people increased by 9.3%, reaching 34,100 people.
Additionally, the volume of bank loans to the population exceeded 4 trillion tenge. Overdue debt over the year increased by 68.5% — from 54.2 billion tenge to 91.4 billion tenge.
HOW THE CAPITAL'S BUDGET WAS EXECUTED
Budget expenditures for Astana in 2025 amounted to almost 1.82 trillion tenge, with a budget execution rate reaching 99.3%.
In the approved budget for 2026–2030, the capital's expected own revenues are estimated at 3.696 trillion tenge. It is planned to collect 1.113 trillion tenge in 2026 alone, and over three years, the city must transfer 787 billion tenge in withdrawals to the republican budget.
