ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked 15th among the world’s largest gold-producing countries in 2025, producing 82.4 tons of gold, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). However, output declined 5.4% from 87.1 tons in 2024, while global gold production rose 2% to 3,800 tons.
Photo credit: National Bank of Kazakhstan
China remained the world’s largest producer with 384.3 tons, followed by Russia (345 tons), Australia (293.2 tons), Canada (213.3 tons), and Peru (208.9 tons). The five countries accounted for 37.9% of global gold production, reported EnergyProm on Oct. 21, citing the World Gold Council.
Ghana ranked sixth with 187.3 tons, followed by the United States (157 tons), Uzbekistan (125.4 tons), Mexico (113.5 tons), and Indonesia (104.2 tons). Ghana recorded the largest increase among these countries, with production rising 21%, while Indonesia’s output fell 24.8%.
Kazakhstan accounted for approximately 2.2% of global gold production. Across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), gold output reached 592.5 tons in 2025, up 1.2% year on year and 6.6% compared with 2020. Uzbekistan recorded the strongest five-year growth, increasing production by 25.2% and accounting for approximately 68.5% of the region’s total increase.
Kazakhstan’s national statistics show a different production measure. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, output of unwrought and semi-manufactured gold, or gold in powder form, fell 4% to 127 tons in 2025, from 132.3 tons a year earlier. Refined gold production declined 4.2% to 71.2 tons, from 74.3 tons. These figures differ from international estimates because of variations in methodology and product classifications.
The downward trend continued in January-September. Production of unwrought and semi-manufactured gold and gold powder fell 11% year on year to 84.7 tons, while refined gold output decreased 11% to 47.7 tons.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan extracted 30.5 million tons of gold-bearing ore in January-September, up 9.4% from the same period in 2025. However, gold-bearing concentrate production fell 16.9% to 197,800 tons.
For full-year 2025, gold ore extraction declined 6.2% to 39.2 million tons, while concentrate output dropped 26.4% to 307,400 tons.
The divergence highlights a key factor in gold production: higher ore extraction does not necessarily translate into greater output of gold-bearing concentrates or refined gold, as results also depend on the gold content of the ore and the efficiency of processing.
According to the USGS, global gold reserves were estimated at 66,000 tons this year. Australia held the largest reserves at 13,000 tons, followed by Russia with 12,000 tons. Kazakhstan’s reserves were estimated at 2,300 tons, representing approximately 3.5% of the global total. These geological reserves differ from the gold central banks hold as financial assets.
