Kazakhstan has a GDP of $288B compared to $64.2B for Turkmenistan, ranking 50/197 and 88/197 by economy size, respectively.
Kazakhstan has $71.5B in government debt (25.4% of GDP), compared to $2.97B (4.5% of GDP) in Turkmenistan.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1987 | - | - | $2,331,358,820 | $9,134,688,479 |
| 1988 | - | - | $3,010,982,414 | $10,141,662,024 |
| 1989 | - | - | $3,006,988,217 | $9,710,101,902 |
| 1990 | $26,932,016,270 | $95,326,487,410 | $3,189,539,641 | $13,145,978,552 |
| 1991 | $24,923,076,923 | $84,840,573,793 | $3,208,098,919 | $12,540,571,637 |
| 1992 | $24,917,355,372 | $80,344,023,383 | $3,200,539,816 | $10,663,751,367 |
| 1993 | $23,409,260,880 | $72,952,373,230 | $3,179,225,949 | $10,823,707,656 |
| 1994 | $21,250,792,886 | $63,760,374,204 | $2,561,118,608 | $8,951,221,334 |
| 1995 | $20,374,302,652 | $58,532,023,519 | $2,482,228,440 | $8,306,729,733 |
| 1996 | $21,035,357,937 | $58,824,683,638 | $2,378,759,975 | $8,863,279,974 |
| 1997 | $22,165,932,063 | $59,824,703,259 | $2,450,350,625 | $7,852,866,037 |
| 1998 | $22,135,245,507 | $58,688,033,898 | $2,605,689,134 | $8,410,419,553 |
| 1999 | $16,870,817,182 | $60,272,610,812 | $2,450,564,100 | $9,798,138,737 |
| 2000 | $18,291,990,662 | $66,179,326,673 | $2,904,663,311 | $10,334,005,228 |
| 2001 | $22,152,689,180 | $75,113,535,772 | $3,534,772,732 | $10,782,898,471 |
| 2002 | $24,636,598,527 | $82,474,662,278 | $4,462,029,109 | $10,810,629,921 |
| 2003 | $30,833,692,900 | $90,144,805,870 | $5,977,440,583 | $11,164,010,880 |
| 2004 | $43,151,647,003 | $98,798,707,234 | $6,838,351,088 | $11,722,256,910 |
| 2005 | $57,123,671,734 | $108,382,181,835 | $8,103,901,996 | $13,250,139,963 |
| 2006 | $81,003,864,630 | $119,979,075,292 | $10,276,674,365 | $14,704,118,675 |
| 2007 | $104,849,915,058 | $130,657,212,993 | $12,664,165,103 | $16,330,291,194 |
| 2008 | $133,441,648,852 | $134,968,901,022 | $19,271,523,179 | $18,730,843,999 |
| 2009 | $115,308,686,941 | $136,588,527,833 | $20,214,385,965 | $19,873,425,505 |
| 2010 | $148,047,348,241 | $146,559,490,370 | $22,583,157,895 | $21,701,780,649 |
| 2011 | $192,626,464,617 | $157,404,892,659 | $29,233,333,333 | $24,891,942,389 |
| 2012 | $207,998,568,866 | $164,960,327,499 | $35,164,210,526 | $27,654,947,984 |
| 2013 | $236,634,603,409 | $174,857,947,144 | $39,197,543,860 | $30,475,752,707 |
| 2014 | $221,415,613,595 | $182,201,980,934 | $43,524,210,526 | $33,614,755,226 |
| 2015 | $184,388,404,706 | $184,388,404,706 | $35,799,714,286 | $35,799,714,286 |
| 2016 | $137,278,320,084 | $186,416,677,156 | $36,169,428,571 | $38,019,296,559 |
| 2017 | $166,805,788,827 | $194,059,760,924 | $37,926,285,714 | $40,490,550,854 |
| 2018 | $179,339,977,690 | $202,016,211,109 | $40,765,428,571 | $43,000,964,983 |
| 2019 | $181,667,184,855 | $211,106,940,611 | $45,232,857,143 | $45,710,025,795 |
| 2020 | $171,082,365,861 | $205,829,267,103 | $45,818,000,000 | $48,406,917,339 |
| 2021 | $197,112,255,361 | $214,679,925,583 | $50,007,428,571 | $51,408,146,222 |
| 2022 | $225,496,328,925 | $221,549,683,201 | $58,972,000,000 | $54,595,451,255 |
| 2023 | $261,840,101,060 | $232,848,717,044 | $60,628,857,143 | $58,035,050,719 |
| 2024 | $288,406,138,231 | $244,025,455,462 | $64,239,891,739 | $59,349,032,300 |
Economic indicators
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$288B
2024 |
$64.2B
2024 |
| GDP rank |
50/197
2024 |
88/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
10.1%
2023-2024 |
5.96%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$14,005
2024 |
$8,572
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
72/197
2024 |
91/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$40,813
2024 |
$20,408
2024 |
| Government debt |
$71.5B
2024 |
$2.97B
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
25.4%
2025 |
4.5%
2025 |
| Government debt per person |
$3,474
2024 |
$396
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
96/185
2024 |
172/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$7,117
2025 |
$8,974
2025 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$62.8B
2024 |
n/a |
| Number of millionaires |
44,307
2024 |
n/a |
| Number of billionaires |
6
2025 |
n/a |
| Income share by richest 10% |
24.8%
2021 |
31.5%
1998 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
4.3%
2021 |
2.4%
1998 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
20.6%
2025 |
11.1%
2025 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
11.4%
2024-2025 |
3.9%
2024-2025 |
| Central bank interest rate |
16.5%
2025 |
n/a |
| Unemployment rate |
4.86%
2022 |
4%
2010 |
| Population |
21036432
|
7713465
|
GDP per capita in Kazakhstan vs Turkmenistan
Kazakhstan's GDP per capita is $14,005, ranking 72/197, compared to $8,572 in Turkmenistan, ranking 91/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Kazakhstan ranks 58th at $40,813, while Turkmenistan ranks 94th at $20,408.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1987 | - | - | $675 | - |
| 1988 | - | - | $846 | - |
| 1989 | - | - | $821 | - |
| 1990 | $1,570 | $7,874 | $848 | $5,321 |
| 1991 | $1,442 | $7,193 | $832 | $5,117 |
| 1992 | $1,438 | $6,945 | $811 | $4,351 |
| 1993 | $1,355 | $6,477 | $788 | $4,422 |
| 1994 | $1,247 | $5,860 | $622 | $3,659 |
| 1995 | $1,218 | $5,595 | $592 | $3,405 |
| 1996 | $1,281 | $5,836 | $558 | $3,636 |
| 1997 | $1,382 | $6,178 | $565 | $3,222 |
| 1998 | $1,415 | $6,284 | $591 | $3,432 |
| 1999 | $1,092 | $6,626 | $546 | $3,981 |
| 2000 | $1,180 | $7,418 | $634 | $4,209 |
| 2001 | $1,422 | $8,568 | $756 | $4,401 |
| 2002 | $1,574 | $9,504 | $936 | $4,393 |
| 2003 | $1,958 | $10,532 | $1,229 | $4,536 |
| 2004 | $2,722 | $11,777 | $1,379 | $4,798 |
| 2005 | $3,577 | $13,226 | $1,604 | $5,489 |
| 2006 | $5,030 | $14,966 | $1,997 | $6,164 |
| 2007 | $6,449 | $16,581 | $2,415 | $6,901 |
| 2008 | $8,124 | $17,278 | $3,606 | $7,916 |
| 2009 | $6,938 | $17,389 | $3,708 | $8,285 |
| 2010 | $8,793 | $18,642 | $4,059 | $8,972 |
| 2011 | $11,287 | $20,160 | $5,144 | $10,283 |
| 2012 | $12,019 | $21,367 | $6,054 | $11,035 |
| 2013 | $13,478 | $23,754 | $6,600 | $11,723 |
| 2014 | $12,428 | $23,958 | $7,164 | $12,477 |
| 2015 | $10,196 | $22,484 | $5,759 | $12,715 |
| 2016 | $7,476 | $23,023 | $5,687 | $12,919 |
| 2017 | $8,943 | $23,973 | $5,828 | $13,278 |
| 2018 | $9,472 | $25,096 | $6,125 | $14,368 |
| 2019 | $9,457 | $28,689 | $6,648 | $15,478 |
| 2020 | $8,782 | $29,040 | $6,593 | $15,091 |
| 2021 | $9,984 | $32,946 | $7,051 | $16,434 |
| 2022 | $11,255 | $35,895 | $8,156 | $18,340 |
| 2023 | $12,879 | $38,515 | $8,233 | $19,829 |
| 2024 | $14,005 | $40,813 | $8,572 | $20,408 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Kazakhstan's government spending was $60.7B, accounting for 20.6% of its GDP, while Turkmenistan's spent $7.26B, or 11.1% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 25.4% in Kazakhstan and 4.5% in Turkmenistan, ranking 169/185 and 183/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1997 | - | - | 14.6% | 84.9% |
| 1998 | - | - | 14.2% | 107.9% |
| 1999 | - | - | 11.3% | 88.2% |
| 2000 | - | - | 14.1% | 72.9% |
| 2001 | - | - | 12.3% | 45.1% |
| 2002 | 20.5% | 17.6% | 10.6% | 32% |
| 2003 | 21.4% | 15% | 11.3% | 22.4% |
| 2004 | 21.3% | 11.4% | 11% | 15.1% |
| 2005 | 22% | 8.1% | 11.5% | 9.01% |
| 2006 | 19.8% | 6.68% | 8.74% | 5.59% |
| 2007 | 23.7% | 4.09% | 7.86% | 4.05% |
| 2008 | 27.1% | 6.77% | 6.36% | 4.71% |
| 2009 | 23.5% | 10.2% | 7.84% | 4.08% |
| 2010 | 22.5% | 10.7% | 8.86% | 6.21% |
| 2011 | 21.2% | 10.2% | 9.62% | 10% |
| 2012 | 21.9% | 12.1% | 10.3% | 13.8% |
| 2013 | 19.8% | 12.6% | 13% | 16% |
| 2014 | 21.3% | 14.5% | 13.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015 | 22.9% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 14.5% |
| 2016 | 21.5% | 19.7% | 11.9% | 18.5% |
| 2017 | 24.1% | 19.9% | 14.7% | 20% |
| 2018 | 18.8% | 20.3% | 11.4% | 18.7% |
| 2019 | 20.2% | 19.9% | 11.6% | 15.3% |
| 2020 | 24.5% | 26.4% | 11.8% | 13.3% |
| 2021 | 22.1% | 25.1% | 10.9% | 10.7% |
| 2022 | 21.7% | 23.5% | 9.44% | 5.77% |
| 2023 | 23.4% | 23% | 10.9% | 4.66% |
| 2024 | 21% | 24.8% | 11.3% | 4.62% |
| 2025 | 20.6% | 25.4% | 11.1% | 4.5% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Kazakhstan's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$4.68B, equivalent to -1.62% of GDP. This compares to Turkmenistan's surplus of $204M, or 0.32% of GDP.
Over the past 23 years, Kazakhstan recorded a fiscal deficit in 9 of those years, while Turkmenistan ran a deficit in 6 years. On average, Kazakhstan posted an annual surplus equal to +0.83% of GDP, compared to surplus of +1.22% of GDP for Turkmenistan.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
| 1997 | - | -0.11% |
| 1998 | - | 0.63% |
| 1999 | - | 1.35% |
| 2000 | - | -0.3% |
| 2001 | - | 0.42% |
| 2002 | 1.92% | 0.1% |
| 2003 | 4% | 2.17% |
| 2004 | 3.29% | 0.8% |
| 2005 | 6.08% | 0.47% |
| 2006 | 7.65% | 3.07% |
| 2007 | 5.13% | 2.28% |
| 2008 | 1.23% | 5.85% |
| 2009 | -1.33% | 4.11% |
| 2010 | 1.47% | 1.29% |
| 2011 | 5.81% | 2.4% |
| 2012 | 4.43% | 5.27% |
| 2013 | 4.95% | 1.18% |
| 2014 | 2.48% | 0.69% |
| 2015 | -6.26% | -0.56% |
| 2016 | -4.5% | -2.01% |
| 2017 | -4.27% | -2.35% |
| 2018 | 2.58% | -0.18% |
| 2019 | -0.57% | -0.34% |
| 2020 | -7.04% | -0.14% |
| 2021 | -4.97% | 0.46% |
| 2022 | 0.11% | 2.45% |
| 2023 | -1.52% | 0.75% |
| 2024 | -1.62% | 0.32% |
| 2025 | -3.15% | 0.17% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 30 years, Kazakhstan has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 10.1%, compared with 43.4% in Turkmenistan. In 2025, inflation was 11.4% in Kazakhstan and 3.9% in Turkmenistan.
| Year | Inflation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
| 1996 | 39.2% | 992% | |
| 1997 | 17.4% | 83.7% | |
| 1998 | 7.1% | 16.8% | |
| 1999 | 8.3% | 23.5% | |
| 2000 | 13.2% | 8% | |
| 2001 | 8.4% | 11.6% | |
| 2002 | 6% | 8.8% | |
| 2003 | 6.4% | 5.6% | |
| 2004 | 7% | 5.9% | |
| 2005 | 7.4% | 10.7% | |
| 2006 | 8.6% | 8.2% | |
| 2007 | 10.8% | 6.3% | |
| 2008 | 17.2% | 14.5% | |
| 2009 | 7.3% | -2.7% | |
| 2010 | 7.1% | 4.4% | |
| 2011 | 8.4% | 5.3% | |
| 2012 | 5.1% | 5.3% | |
| 2013 | 5.8% | 6.8% | |
| 2014 | 6.6% | 6% | |
| 2015 | 6.8% | 7.4% | |
| 2016 | 14.6% | 3.6% | |
| 2017 | 7.5% | 8% | |
| 2018 | 6% | 13.3% | |
| 2019 | 5.3% | 5.1% | |
| 2020 | 6.8% | 6.1% | |
| 2021 | 8% | 19.5% | |
| 2022 | 15% | 11.2% | |
| 2023 | 14.5% | -1.6% | |
| 2024 | 8.7% | 4.6% | |
| 2025 | 11.4% | 3.9% | |
Top exports between countries
|
Kazakhstan
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Machinery & equipment | $146M |
| Metals | $84M |
| Raw agricultural goods | $38M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $35.6M |
| Raw materials & minerals | $21.3M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $9.06M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $778K |
| Animal & marine products | $448K |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $154K |
| Miscellaneous | $20K |
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Raw materials & minerals | $155M |
| Raw agricultural goods | $41M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $12.9M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $9.65M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $958K |
| Machinery & equipment | $558K |
| Miscellaneous | $264K |
| Metals | $120K |
| Wood & paper products | $3K |
Balance of trade
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$4.98B
2024 |
n/a |
| Current account balance ranking |
166/189
2024 |
n/a |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-1.73%
2024 |
n/a |
| Goods imports |
$61.2B
2024 |
n/a |
| Goods exports |
$78.8B
2024 |
n/a |
| Service imports |
$13B
2024 |
n/a |
| Service exports |
$11.8B
2024 |
n/a |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
27.5%
2023 |
12.5%
2023 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
34.5%
2023 |
21.6%
2023 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 63.8 | 47.1 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 74/197 | 178/197 |
| Property rights | 54.7 | 17.7 |
| Government integrity | 39.9 | 7.3 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 34.8 | 8.2 |
| Tax burden | 91.7 | 94.2 |
| Government spending | 85.1 | 96.7 |
| Fiscal health | 91.8 | 100 |
| Business freedom | 69.3 | 37.4 |
| Labor freedom | 63.2 | 33.9 |
| Monetary freedom | 61.3 | 75.1 |
| Trade freedom | 73.2 | 74.2 |
| Investment freedom | 50 | 10 |
| Financial freedom | 50 | 10 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Kazakhstan is 63.8, ranking 74/197, compared to 47.1 for Turkmenistan, ranking 178/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
| 1998 | 41.7 | 35 |
| 1999 | 47.3 | 36.1 |
| 2000 | 50.4 | 37.6 |
| 2001 | 51.8 | 41.8 |
| 2002 | 52.4 | 43.2 |
| 2003 | 52.3 | 51.3 |
| 2004 | 49.7 | 50.7 |
| 2005 | 53.9 | 47.6 |
| 2006 | 60.2 | 43.8 |
| 2007 | 59.6 | 43 |
| 2008 | 61.1 | 43.4 |
| 2009 | 60.1 | 44.2 |
| 2010 | 61 | 42.5 |
| 2011 | 62.1 | 43.6 |
| 2012 | 63.6 | 43.8 |
| 2013 | 63 | 42.6 |
| 2014 | 63.7 | 42.2 |
| 2015 | 63.3 | 41.4 |
| 2016 | 63.6 | 41.9 |
| 2017 | 69 | 47.4 |
| 2018 | 69.1 | 47.1 |
| 2019 | 65.4 | 48.4 |
| 2020 | 69.6 | 46.5 |
| 2021 | 71.1 | 47.4 |
| 2022 | 64.4 | 46.2 |
| 2023 | 62.1 | 46.5 |
| 2024 | 62 | 46.3 |
| 2025 | 63.8 | 47.1 |
More economic indicators
|
Kazakhstan
|
Turkmenistan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
58.2%
2024 |
49.4%
2023 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
31.4%
2024 |
39.3%
2023 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
3.94%
2024 |
11.3%
2023 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$250B
2024 |
$62.9B
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$37,870
2024 |
$20,220
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$45.8B
2024 |
$1.51B
1999 |
| Total reserves ranking |
43/177
2024 |
135/177
1999 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$1.21B
2024 |
n/a |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$682M
2024 |
$1.64B
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$1.89B
2024 |
n/a |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
19%
2023 |
1.93%
2023 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
5%
2024 |
0.2%
2020 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
29.8%
2023 |
47.2%
2012 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.