ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranks third among six Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries with available data for monthly employer labor costs, behind Belarus and Moldova, according to the CIS Statistical Committee. In 2024, labor costs in Kazakhstan reached 878 euros (US$1,015) per employee per month, significantly exceeding the figures recorded in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
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The figures highlight differences in how employers across the region compensate workers and cover the broader costs of maintaining a workforce, including wages, bonuses, social protection, professional training and other employee-related expenses.
Kazakhstan’s average nominal monthly wage reached $988 in the first half of 2026, according to the Eurasian Economic Commission. This was nearly 61% higher than in the Kyrgyz Republic, where the average stood at $615, and 67.3% higher than in Uzbekistan, at $591. Kazakhstan’s figure was 2.8 times Tajikistan’s $358.
Among CIS countries, only Russia and Belarus reported higher average nominal wages during the January–June period, at nearly $1,400 and more than $1,000, respectively.
However, wage growth varied considerably across the region. The Kyrgyz Republic recorded the highest nominal wage index, at 127.5%, followed by Tajikistan at 119.6%. Kazakhstan’s index was 110.3% compared with the same period a year earlier.
In real terms, Kazakhstan recorded the weakest performance. Its real wage index fell to 99.4%, indicating a 0.6% decline in purchasing power. Kazakhstan was the only CIS country in the comparison with a real wage index below 100%.
By contrast, the real wage index reached 115.3% in the Kyrgyz Republic and 114.9% in Tajikistan, indicating stronger growth in purchasing power.
Employer labor costs vary across the CIS
Wages are only one component of the cost of employing workers. Employer labor costs also include paid leave, bonuses, social protection contributions, housing, professional training and cultural or household services provided to employees.
According to the CIS Statistical Committee, comparable data for 2024 were available for six countries. Belarus recorded the highest monthly labor costs per employee, at 949 euros (US$1,097), followed by Moldova at 903 euros (US$1,044). Kazakhstan ranked third at 878 euros (US$1,015). Uzbekistan reported the lowest figures, at 475 euros (US$549), and the Kyrgyz Republic at 542 euros (US$627).
Labor cost composition also differed across countries, reflecting different approaches to employee compensation and social protection.
In Azerbaijan and Moldova, payment for hours worked accounted for the largest shares of total labor costs, at 74.4% and 70.3%, respectively. The proportions were lower in the Kyrgyz Republic, at 57.3%, and Uzbekistan, at 58.3%, where social protection and other employee-related expenses accounted for comparatively larger shares.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also recorded relatively high shares of monetary incentives, suggesting that bonuses and other financial rewards play an important role in employee compensation. Incentives accounted for 13.1% of total labor costs in Kazakhstan and 17.9% in Uzbekistan.
Social protection contributions represented another major difference between countries. Belarus recorded the highest share, at 24.7%, followed by Moldova at 19%. Kazakhstan had the lowest proportion among the countries compared, at 6.3%.
Labor costs in Kazakhstan continue to rise
Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics publishes labor cost data annually. In 2025, employer labor costs reached nearly 6 million tenge (US$13,158) per employee per year, or 499,100 tenge (US$1,095) per month.
The labor cost index indicates that employers’ expenses have increased every year in recent years. The highest annual increase was recorded in 2022, when the index reached 121.9%. The lowest was reported in 2024, at 113.3%.
The index’s gradual decline between 2022 and 2025 may indicate a shift toward more moderate increases in employee-related costs.
Significant regional differences
Labor costs varied substantially across Kazakhstan in 2025, reflecting differences in regional economic structures and wage levels. These differences are partly tied to regional economic specialization. Oil-producing western regions generally have higher wages, while agriculture plays a more prominent role in the Turkistan and Zhambyl regions, where wage levels are comparatively lower.
Overall, the figures show that Kazakhstan has higher employer labor costs and nominal wages than its Central Asian neighbors, while still trailing Belarus and Moldova in total monthly labor costs per employee. At the same time, the decline in real wages highlights the gap between rising nominal earnings and the purchasing power they provide.
