ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s zoos generated a record 2.6 billion tenge (US$5 million) in revenue in 2025 as visitor spending continued to rise despite a slight decline in attendance.
Photo credit: Shymkent zoo’s press service.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the country’s eight zoos and sole oceanarium welcomed 2.6 million visitors last year, down modestly from the record 2.8 million recorded in 2024 but still well above historical levels. Revenue from zoo services increased 23.5% year-on-year, reaching a record high and standing 2.5 times higher than in 2015.
Nearly 89% of all visitors were concentrated in Kazakhstan’s three largest cities. Almaty attracted the largest number of visitors, with 1.1 million, followed by Shymkent with 716,200 and Astana with 517,400.
The sector’s financial growth has coincided with a shrinking number of facilities. Kazakhstan had eight zoos and one oceanarium operating in 2025, while the number of petting zoos has fallen by more than fourfold from 14 in 2017 to just three.
The decline follows the implementation of Kazakhstan’s Law on Responsible Treatment of Animals, which came into force on January 1, 2025. Nevertheless, official statistics for 2025 still include three petting zoos located in Astana and the Abai Region.
Zoos were operating in seven of Kazakhstan’s 20 regions. One facility each was located in the Abai, Akmola, Karagandy and East Kazakhstan, as well as in Almaty and Shymkent, while Astana was home to two zoos and the country’s only oceanarium.
