Small and medium-sized businesses already account for 40.4% of GDP in Kazakhstan, but behind the growth in their economic share lies ambiguous dynamics: over the year the number of active entities fell by 7.1%, and the number of employed people — by 10.3%. Moreover, real output of SMEs fell by 3.6%, despite an increase in its monetary volume to KZT 45.4 trillion. It turns out that the economic weight of entrepreneurship is growing, but the quantitative indicators of the sector itself are deteriorating.
HOW THE MAIN SME INDICATORS CHANGED
According to data from the Bureau of National Statistics, as of 1 July 2026 Kazakhstan had 1.9 million active small and medium-sized business (SME) entities, compared with 2.1 million a year earlier. The total number of registered enterprises and entrepreneurs also decreased: from 2.3 million to 2.14 million, or by 8.1%.
Employment fell even more. The SME sector employed 3.9 million people compared with 4.4 million in 2025. The difference is about 455,000 people.
At the same time, the share of small and medium-sized businesses in GDP for January–June 2026 reached 40.4%, an increase of 0.6%. The contribution of small business was 33.3%, and of medium business — 7.1%.
Thus, the growth in the SME share of the economy occurs alongside a decline in the number of its participants and employees.
HOW MUCH SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES PRODUCE
In the first six months of 2026, SMEs produced goods and services worth KZT 45.4 trillion. For comparison: in the same period of 2025 the figure was KZT 42.4 trillion.
At first glance, this is an increase of almost KZT 3 trillion. But taking the consumer price index into account, the statistics record a decline in output of 3.6%. That is, an increase in the monetary volume does not mean a real expansion of production.
Almost half of total output was provided by small business enterprises — KZT 22.4 trillion (49.3%). Individual entrepreneurs accounted for KZT 14.3 trillion (31.5%), and medium-sized businesses for KZT 8.3 trillion (18.3%).
WHICH SECTORS MAKE UP THE SME SECTOR
The largest segment of SMEs remains wholesale and retail trade, including repair of cars and motorcycles. It accounts for 36.4% of the sector's active entities, 30.5% of those employed and 31.1% of total output.
In January–June 2026 the trade sector produced goods and provided services worth KZT 14.1 trillion. However, in terms of the dynamics of nominal output, industry stands out: its figure rose from KZT 7.1 trillion to KZT 9 trillion over the year.
In construction the situation is the opposite. Output fell from KZT 6.3 trillion to KZT 4.3 trillion. Thus, different areas of entrepreneurship show uneven dynamics, while trade retains first place in terms of total output.
IN WHICH REGIONS SMEs PLAY THE MOST NOTICEABLE ROLE
The largest contribution of small and medium-sized businesses to the regional economy was recorded in Astana — 70.1% of GRP. Next come Almaty (58.8%) and Shymkent (57.6%).
At the same time, in absolute terms Almaty leads: gross value added of SMEs here amounted to KZT 8.4 trillion. In Astana the figure reached KZT 6.2 trillion, in Shymkent — KZT 1.6 trillion.
The lowest share of SMEs in the regional economy was recorded in the Ulytau region — 6.6%. The difference between Astana and Ulytau is more than 63%.
WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING WITH SMALL BUSINESS
The statistics for the first half of 2026 show a contradictory picture. On the one hand, the SME share of GDP grew, and its monetary output reached KZT 45.4 trillion. On the other, the number of active entities, the number of employed people and real output declined.
Therefore, the growth in the economic share of SMEs by itself does not yet indicate an improvement in the position of entrepreneurs. It is important to take into account not only the sector's contribution to GDP, but also the dynamics of employment, the number of active entities and the real volume of production. It is these indicators that make it possible to see how widely economic growth is distributed within the entrepreneurial sector itself.
