Development Co‑operation Profiles: Kazakhstan
Table of contents
Kazakhstan pursues international development co-operation as part of its foreign policy to address regional and global challenges. Kazakhstan’s approach is grounded in its evolution from a planned to a market economy, and follows the principles of mutual benefit, respect for sovereignty and non-interference. It provides development co-operation bilaterally and multilaterally, with a regional focus on Central Asia and Afghanistan and aiming as a longer term objective to direct its development co-operation activities to other regions beyond its neighbourhood. Kazakhstan’s total official development assistance (ODA) (USD 50.4 million) increased in 2024, representing 0.02% of gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on Kazakhstan’s development assistance allocations. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
Kazakhstan aims to promote – as part of its multi-vector Foreign Policy for 2020-2030 – multilateral co‑operation to advance national, regional and global development, stability and security. This is in line with the country’s vision of “Kazakhstan 2050” to become a responsible and reliable partner with international influence. The 2014 ODA Law provides the basis for Kazakhstan’s development co-operation. It outlines that development co‑operation should advance the country’s national and foreign policy goals and contribute to the sustainable socio-economic development of partner countries, with a priority on climate and the environment and poverty reduction. The law also identifies thematic priority sectors: agriculture and food security, environmental protection, conflict prevention and security, education and science, healthcare, and public administration. Implementation is guided by the medium-term Guidelines of State Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Official Development Assistance for 2021-2025, which specify the geographic focus on Central Asia and Afghanistan. New guidelines for 2026-2030 are currently under consideration. Kazakhstan’s bilateral development co-operation is mainly delivered through technical assistance.
As part of its strategy, Kazakhstan champions development co-operation through its active engagement in regional and global platforms. In 2024, Kazakhstan chaired several organisations and conferences, such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In 2025, the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan was launched in Almaty to support the acceleration of SDG implementation in the region. That same year, Kazakhstan also assumed the Chairpersonship of the Economic Cooperation Organisation. Kazakhstan collaborates with the OECD, including the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
Kazakhstan provided USD 50.4 million of ODA in 2024 (USD in constant terms), representing 0.02% of GNI.1 This represented an increase of 33% in real terms in volume and an increase in the share of GNI from 2023. Kazakhstan is making efforts to increase its official development assistance in line with SDG target 17.2. Total ODA on a grant-equivalent basis has the same value as net ODA under the cash-flow methodology used in the past, as Kazakhstan provides only grants.
Kazakhstan channels the majority of its ODA bilaterally, predominantly directed towards its neighbouring countries in Central Asia. In 2024, Kazakhstan had a high percentage of gross bilateral ODA to land‑locked least-developed countries (LDCs). It also had a high percentage of gross bilateral ODA disbursements to the humanitarian pillar of the humanitarian development-peace nexus in fragile contexts.
Notes: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income; DAC: Development Assistance Committee.
Kazakhstan provided most of its ODA bilaterally in 2024. Gross bilateral ODA was 83.9% of total ODA disbursements. Of this, 18.9% was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2024, Kazakhstan provided USD 16.1 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system, a fall of 6% in real terms from 2023. Of this, USD 8.1 million was core multilateral ODA (16.1% of total ODA), while USD 8 million was non-core contributions earmarked for a specific country, region, theme or purpose. All of Kazakhstan’s non-core contributions were programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The United Nations (UN) system received 61.8% of Kazakhstan’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 2.4 million (23.9%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 9.9 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Kazakhstan’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the World Health Organisation (USD 2 million), the United Nations Development Programme (USD 1.7 million) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (USD 1.3 million).
See the section on Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA for the breakdown of bilateral allocations, including ODA earmarked through the multilateral development system.
In 2024, Kazakhstan’s bilateral spending increased compared to the previous year. It provided USD 42.3 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented an increase of 57.6% in real terms from 2023.
In 2024, country programmable aid amounted to USD 4.1 million, or 9.8% of Kazakhstan’s gross bilateral ODA. Kazakhstan’s humanitarian aid amounted to USD 18.2 million, or 43.1% of gross bilateral ODA.
In 2024, Kazakhstan channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through the public sector and multilateral organisations.
In 2024, Kazakhstan’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on Asia (excluding the Middle East). USD 21.2 million was allocated to Asia (excluding the Middle East) and USD 4.1 million to ODA-eligible countries in Europe (of which 0.7% was for Ukraine), accounting respectively for 50.1% and 9.6% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 2.6 million was allocated to countries in Africa. Kazakhstan’s geographical focus on Asia is in line with its development co-operation priorities.
In 2024, 63.5% of gross bilateral ODA went to Kazakhstan’s top 10 recipients, most notable in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 33.4%.
In 2024, Kazakhstan allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (34.7%) to lower middle‑income countries, noting that 33.4% was unallocated by income group. Least developed countries received 20.4% of Kazakhstan’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 8.6 million). Additionally, Kazakhstan allocated 45.5% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2024, equal to USD 19.2 million.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 20.2 million in 2024, representing 47.8% of Kazakhstan’s gross bilateral ODA. Of this, 83% was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, an increase from 67.6% in 2023. Learn more about the States of Fragility platform.
In 2024, the largest focus of Kazakhstan’s bilateral ODA was humanitarian assistance. Investments in this area accounted for 43.1% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 18.2 million), with a focus on emergency response (USD 18.2 million). ODA for social infrastructure and services totalled USD 11.4 million, with a focus on education (USD 9.9 million). Other macro sectors amounted to USD 6.8 million (16.1% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on other macro sectors and social sectors in 2024.
In 2024, Kazakhstan:
Allocated 1.2% of its bilateral ODA (USD 500 thousand) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by SDG 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (such as basic health and education, water supply and sanitation, multisector aid for basic social services) and development food aid. Learn more by exploring the Reducing poverty and inequalities through ODA data explainer.
Committed USD 5.6 million (13.3% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2024. Learn more by exploring the Aid for Trade dashboard.
Total official support for sustainable development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases the transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the SDGs received by developing countries (Pillar 1) and for addressing global challenges (Pillar 2). In 2024, activities reported by Kazakhstan as TOSSD totalled USD 60.1 million, marking a 43% increase compared with the previous year. Kazakhstan’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals) and SDG 4 (quality education). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
Kazakhstan’s 2014 ODA Law (No. 263-V) designates the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as the central authority with overall responsibility for Kazakhstan’s ODA. The law also provided the legal basis for establishing an implementing agency. In 2020, the Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) was established by Government Order No. 861 under the auspices of the MFA. KazAID operates under the strategic orientation of the MFA with a double mandate as a national co-ordination body and a technical co-operation implementation agency. The key areas of KazAID’s operations include technical assistance to partner countries (primarily Central Asian states), co-ordination of development efforts between the relevant ministries, and facilitation of partnerships with key stakeholders and development actors in the region.
Other ministries in Kazakhstan are also responsible for implementing development co-operation. Educational scholarships are funded and operated through the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and other educational institutions in Kazakhstan. Humanitarian aid is managed by the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Access the full list of development co-operation providers at: Development Co-operation Profiles.
Kazakhstan Agency of International Development ‘’KazAID’’: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/kazaid?lang=ru.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan: www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa?lang=en.
Order of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of December 15, 2020, No. 861, https://cis-legislation.com/document.fwx?rgn=129239.
Legal Information System of Regulatory Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2014), Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 10, 2014 No. 263-V, https://adilet.zan.kz/eng/docs/Z1400000263.
Official Website of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2020), On the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2030, https://www.akorda.kz/en/legal_acts/decrees/on-the-concept-of-the-foreign-policy-of-the-republic-of-kazakhstan-for-2020-2030.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021), Main Guidelines of State Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Official Development Assistance for 2021‑2025, www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/kazaid/documents/details/456584?lang=en.
Kazakhstan has reported to the OECD activity-level data since 2014 on 2013 activities.
Kazakhstan is an Adherent to the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.
KazAID is working with the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate to strengthen its capacity in ODA reporting and strategic planning and programming. Kazakhstan has expressed informally an interest in becoming a participant of the OECD DAC.
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
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← 1. DAC members adopted the grant-equivalent methodology starting from their reporting of 2018 data as a more accurate way to count the donor effort in development loans. See the methodological notes for further details.