The gender pay gap in Kazakhstan remains persistent and significant, despite periods of partial improvement. As of April last year, the average monthly nominal wage of women amounted to just 76.9% of that of men. This means that, on average, women earn nearly a quarter less than men, despite comparable participation in the economy: 77 tiyn per 1 tenge, respectively.
Recent dynamics indicate unstable progress. While the ratio stood at 67% in 2019, it improved to a peak of 82.1% by 2021. However, this was followed by a reversal: the indicator declined to 79% in 2023, partially recovered to 80.3% in 2024, and widened again in 2025. Thus, a sustained trend toward reducing gender pay inequality has yet to take shape. At the same time, in 2025 women accounted for 4.3 million out of 9 million employed in Kazakhstan, or 47.9%.
At the regional level, the highest level of pay parity as of April last year was observed in southern and agrarian regions. The smallest gap was recorded in Zhetysu Region (where women earned 96.7% of men’s wages), Turkestan Region (93.6%), and Zhambyl Region (89%). In contrast, the most pronounced gender imbalance was observed in resource-based and industrial regions. In Mangystau Region, the ratio stood at just 56.7%, in Ulytau Region — 60.8%, and in Atyrau Region — 62.1%. These regions showed the largest wage disparities, largely due to the structure of the economy and the high share of well-paid male-dominated industries.
In major cities, the situation varied significantly: in Shymkent, women earned 88.1% of men’s wages, in Almaty — 80.2%, and in Astana — 76.9%.
