Kazakhstan Frontier
Central Asia · Astana · KZT (Kazakhstani Tenge)
Economy & industry overview
Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world and the dominant economy in Central Asia, with nominal GDP of approximately $296–313 billion in 2024. The economy is heavily driven by hydrocarbon extraction — oil and gas account for a significant share of export revenues and fiscal receipts — alongside substantial mining of uranium, copper, zinc, chromite, and other metals. Kazakhstan is home to the world's largest uranium producer, Kazatomprom, which supplies over 40% of global primary uranium output. The financial technology and banking sectors have grown rapidly, exemplified by Kaspi.kz, which became one of the region's most valuable publicly traded companies. The government has pursued economic diversification efforts under successive national development programmes, with growing contributions from trade, construction, and digital services.
Key sectors
📘 Learn everything about Kazakhstan →Macro
| GDP nominal, USD | $296.70B |
| GDP growth real, annual | 4.8% |
| Inflation annual | 8.6% |
| Population people | 19.8M |
| GDP per capita USD | $14,005 |
| Market cap total listed, USD | $57.00B |
| Market cap / GDP | 19.2% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% |
| Listed companies | 130 |
| Exchange | Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) |
Data year: 2024. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook 2024, World Bank Open Data 2024, Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) 2024 Annual Market Summary, Macrotrends (World Bank CPI/Unemployment series), Qazaq Association of Minority Shareholders (QAMS) market cap rankings Dec 2024, Kursiv Media Kazakhstan, Astana Times, Wikipedia – Economy of Kazakhstan, Wikipedia – Kazakhstan Stock Exchange, Wikipedia – Kazatomprom.
Largest listed companies
The biggest companies on the main local exchange, by market capitalisation.
| # | Company | Sector | Market capUSD | US listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KazMunayGasKMGZ · KASE | Oil & Gas | $19.70B | — |
| 2 | Kaspi.kzKSPI · KASE / Nasdaq | Fintech / Financial Services | $16.70B | KSPI |
| 3 | KazatompromKZAP · KASE / AIX / LSE | Uranium Mining | $11.20B | KAP |
| 4 | Halyk BankHSBK · KASE / LSE | Banking | $6.50B | HSBK |
| 5 | KazakhmysKAZ · KASE | Metals & Mining (Copper) | $3.50B | — |
| 6 | KcellKCEL · KASE | Telecommunications | $1.30B | — |
| 7 | KazakhtelecomKZTK · KASE | Telecommunications | $909.00M | — |
| 8 | Bank CenterCreditCCBN · KASE | Banking | $700.00M | — |
| 9 | KazTransOilKZTO · KASE | Energy (Pipeline / Oil Transport) | $650.00M | — |
| 10 | KEGOCKEGC · KASE | Electric Power / Utilities | $600.00M | — |
| 11 | Air AstanaAIRA · KASE / AIX | Aviation / Transportation | $550.00M | — |
US-traded ETFs
Funds listed in the US that give exposure to this market — the simplest route for many US investors.
Local exchange & access
| Exchange | Kazakhstan Stock Exchange |
| Code | KASE |
| Website | kase.kz |
| Currency | KZT |
Local broker access
Foreign investors can access KASE-listed shares through a limited number of Kazakhstani brokers that accept non-residents, including Freedom Finance (FRHC, US-listed), Halyk Finance, BCC Invest, and SBK. Kazatomprom trades on the London Stock Exchange (KAP) and the AIX; Kaspi.kz trades on the Nasdaq (KSPI). Direct retail brokerage access to KASE from Western platforms is limited; many international investors gain Kazakhstan exposure through regional ETFs or London/Nasdaq-listed shares and GDRs.
Global brokers with foreign-market access
- Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
- Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
- Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
- Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.
Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.
Relocation & residency
Investment visa / residency programme
Grants No formal investment-migration programme
Kazakhstan does not operate a formal Golden Visa or Citizenship-by-Investment programme in the conventional sense. Foreigners can obtain a long-term visa or temporary residency through investment, employment, or business activity under the general immigration framework, and the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) offers streamlined work-permit and residency pathways for qualifying financial-sector professionals and their families. There is no published minimum investment threshold for a dedicated residency-by-investment scheme comparable to EU golden visa programmes.
Need help applying? Specialist investment-migration advisers such as Henley & Partners.
Foreign-investor access
Kazakhstan allows foreigners to obtain temporary residence permits through employment, business registration, or investment. The AIFC in Astana provides a distinct legal and regulatory environment under English common law with preferential work-permit processing for qualifying participants. Long-term (up to 10-year) visas are available to investors and highly qualified specialists. Kazakhstan does not grant citizenship by investment; naturalisation typically requires five or more years of continuous legal residence.
US-listed ADRs & cross-listings
Companies from this country whose shares also trade in the US — investable in a normal US brokerage account.
| Company | US ticker | Local ticker | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halyk Savings Bank of Kazakhstan | HSBK | HSBK | Halyk Bank GDRs trade on the London Stock Exchange under HSBK. There is no active US-exchange ADR; OTC pink-sheet trading may be available to some US investors under HSBNF but liquidity is very limited. |
| Kaspi.kz JSC | KSPI | KSPI | Kaspi.kz listed ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in January 2024, making it the first major Kazakhstani technology company to achieve a US exchange listing. Each Nasdaq-traded share represents one ordinary share of the company. |
| NAC Kazatomprom JSC | KAP | KZAP | Kazatomprom's global depositary receipts (GDRs) trade on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker KAP; there is no direct US OTC or exchange ADR, but the LSE GDRs are accessible to many US institutional investors. The company also trades on the Astana International Exchange (AIX). |