GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
Kazakhstan


Kazakhstan Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Kazakhstan; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankNational Bank of Kazakhstan
International ReservesUS$ 32.489 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 168.789 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)210.341 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
9.8%13.5%9.8%9.3%9.6%9.7%10.7%8.9%
2008200920102011*
3.2%1.2%7%5.9%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 10,820 (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$13,484 International Dollars (2010 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
N/AN/A0.17%0.26%0.28%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 4.6% 
  • industry: 34.2% 
  • services: 55.7% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
17.1%(2008)7.4%7.4%9.1%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
6.6%6.6%5.8%(2009)5.7%

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
5.9%6.7%10.4%11.4%12.6%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
4.7%1.1%-1.5%-2.8%-2%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: BBB-/Stable/A-3

Moody's rating: Baa2

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$41.378 billionUS$31.075 billionUS$57.655 billion
Largest companies in KazakhstanKazMunaiGas Exploration (Oil & Gas Operations)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 9.9 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP5.8% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

45.9% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.39%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.11%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$59.23 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesoil and oil products 59%, ferrous metals 19%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)
Total importsUS$37.53 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery and equipment, metal products, foodstuffs
Exports - major partnersChina 15.5%, Germany 11.5%, Russia 11.2%, Italy 7.2%, France 6.7% (2007)
Imports - major partnersRussia 35.4%, China 22.1%, Germany 8% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$14,322 millionUS$13,771 million(2009)US$9,961 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$1,204 millionUS$3,118 millionUS$7,806 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$2,047 millionN/A(2009)US$254 million(2009)N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 59 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 47 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 28 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 39 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 72 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 44 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 181 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 36 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		72

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 78 Score: 62.1 (Moderately Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+6
Total area 2,724,900 km2 (2006)
CapitalAstana (2009)
Currencytenge (KZT) (2009)
Government typerepublic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch (2009)
LanguagesKazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 estimate)
ReligionsMuslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
N/AN/A14.87 million15.58 million15.66 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
44.2%54.1%56.3%58.2%
Population median age29.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1.4% (2009)
Life expectancy67 years (2007)
Adult literacy100% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day<2% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

30.9 (2007)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:6
Civil Liberties:5 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

148.38% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population34% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

N/A

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

15.2662 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC Bank Kazakhstan (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS ATFBank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS BTA Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST ISLAMIC FINANCE INSTITUTIONS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Al Hilal Islamic Bank JSC (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Al Hilal Islamic Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Al-Hilal Islamic Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Al Hilal Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Kazkommertsbank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Finance (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Finance (National, 2011)

TOP 200 EMERGING MARKETS BANKS

2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Kazkommertsbank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Halyk Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Kazkommertsbank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS BTA Bank (National, 2009)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE