OECD Reviews of National Statistical Systems: Kazakhstan 2026

1. Main assessment and recommendations for improvement

1.1. Main assessment

1.1.1. Legal and institutional framework for official statistics

The legal and institutional framework for official statistics in Kazakhstan was assessed in 2023 by the OECD in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Eurostat, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), resulting in a written contribution of the OECD to the joint UNECE/Eurostat/EFTA/OECD Global Assessment of the National Statistical System of Kazakhstan (hereafter the 2023 Global Assessment) (UNECE et al., 2023[1]). Overall, the legal and institutional framework for official statistics in Kazakhstan is broadly aligned with the OECD Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice (OECD, 2015[2]).

The 2023 Global Assessment noted many positive developments in the legal and institutional framework for official statistics since the previous global assessment conducted by the UNECE in 2017, including:

• development of State Statistics and National Data Ecosystem

• initiatives to promote data literacy and analysis

• extended statistical cooperation, including with academia (collaboration on projects, internships for students, etc.)

• improved coordination between producers of official statistics

• participation in major international statistical bodies and cooperation activities

Since 2023, significant improvements in the legal and institutional framework for official statistics have been implemented, based on the recommendations of the 2023 Global Assessment and the “Roadmap for the development of government statistics and the national data ecosystem for 2023-2025” (Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[3]) including:

• strengthening the legal and institutional framework for quality management, in particular for administrative data

• implementing sound methodologies with the creation of the Methodological Council and procedures ensuring transparency of revisions

• developing a three-year statistical plan

Kazakhstan’s statistical system is assessed against the 12 main provisions of the OECD Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice using a five-level alignment scale as follows: aligned, largely aligned, broadly aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned (Table 1.1).

Table 1.1. Alignment with the OECD Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice

Recommendation	Assessment
1. Legal and institutional framework	Broadly aligned
2. Professional independence	Partially aligned
3. Human, technical and financial resources for official statistics	Partially aligned
4. Statistical confidentiality and protection of privacy	Broadly aligned
5. Access to administrative data for statistical purposes	Largely aligned
6. Impartiality, transparency and objectivity	Partially aligned
7. Implementation of sound methodologies	Broadly aligned
8. National quality assurance framework	Partially aligned
9. Dissemination of official statistics and user-friendly access to data and metadata	Broadly aligned
10. Co-ordination of the national statistical system	Partially aligned
11. International cooperation	Aligned
12. Innovation	Broadly aligned

Note: A five-level alignment scale ranging from full alignment to non-alignment is used for the assessment as follows: aligned, largely aligned, broadly aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned.

Source: Authors’ assessment based on information provided by the national authorities.

1.1.2. Statistical and data infrastructure

The Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (BNS) has adopted or adapted most of the major international classifications and standards for the statistical programmes under review. The BNS maintains the information system “Classification and Standards” which is at the core of a system of integrated basic statistical registers including the business register, the agricultural register, the housing register and the population register. The information system contains classifiers, reference books, selections, groupings and transitional keys and is used for maintaining, storing, and using classifications and transition keys. The BNS is developing a Digital Service National Background Information for all state bodies. This will provide a unified system for creating, structuring and managing of “National Reference Information”. The “National Reference Information” is a concept introduced with a 2024 amendment to the national statistics law and refers to a set of classifiers, catalogues, reference books, nomenclatures and other technical and economic information to be developed and approved by authorised state bodies in agreement with the BNS in the manner determined by the BNS.

The BNS is legally mandated to maintain a statistical business register. A variety of survey, administrative and alternative data sources are used to update and maintain the statistical business register, and the BNS has a strong legal basis to access external data sources. Since 2022, the BNS has been implementing the project “Digital Statistical Registers” to create digital registers for all sectors of the economy and update them based on data from government agencies and alternative sources with the aim of reducing response burden and increasing the reliability of the generated statistical information based on administrative data. In 2024, the list of national registers was approved, providing the basis for enriching the digital registers. The BNS is adopting a systematic long-term approach to the development of this system of registers without a pre-established project completion deadline, gradually building these registers based on the availability of high-quality data and development priorities.

The BNS conducts the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population, the national labour force survey. A two-stage stratified cluster sampling design is used to select the sample. The design includes a two-month rotational panel and uses the statistical housing register as the sampling frame. The sample is generated once a year and spread evenly over 12 months. As of 2025, data are collected monthly using personal interviews with electronic questionnaires. The BNS is carrying out further research into using administrative data to derive alternative labour market trackers, improving quality control of the collected data through Global Positioning System (GPS) systems, and using Business Intelligence tools in data analysis and as a method for publishing indicators.

The BNS also conducts the Household Budget and Welfare Survey, the household budget survey. The sample design follows a rotation scheme, with 25% of the sampled units updated each year using the latest statistical housing register. Data are collected quarterly using personal interviews via paper and electronic questionnaires, with the BNS gradually transitioning to entirely digital data collection methods. The BNS is investigating the use of data from second-tier banks and general declaration data to assess the actual income and expenditure structure of households as experimental statistics in a dedicated section on its website. In addition to this experimental work, future developments include the use of data from the State Revenue Committee as alternative revenue trackers and using business intelligence tools in data analysis and indicator dissemination.

The BNS is mandated by law to conduct national censuses including the population and housing census. Official population censuses have been conducted on the country’s territory in 1897, 1920, 1926, 1937, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 1999, 2009, and 2021. The BNS maintains a statistical population register and a statistical housing register. The 2021 National Population Census was conducted based on the traditional method (full field enumeration) with elements of a register-based census where data from the statistical population register were used to prefill the census questionnaires and were validated by respondents. The BNS did not carry out a postcensal survey but carried out a control round following the end of the fieldwork for the 2021 National Population Census. The BNS is gradually transitioning towards a register-based population census and, for the next census round in 2030, plans to use a combined method making greater use of its statistical registers.

The BNS conducted its first agricultural census in 2006-2007 and a second one in 2025, with results expected to be released in 2026. The BNS has implemented substantial improvements between the two agricultural censuses, increasingly aligning to international standards. For both censuses, the BNS has received methodological and technical guidance from national and international experts, including experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For the 2025 National Agricultural Census, the BNS has implemented a pilot census and improved data collection methods (e.g. transitioning to entirely digital data collection methods), coverage of data items (enriching questionnaire content) and dissemination (e.g. creating an interactive agricultural dashboard). Furthermore, since 2023, the BNS has explored experimental statistics using satellite-based yield forecasting for grain crops.

The statistical infrastructure of Kazakhstan (selected components) is assessed against the seven quality objectives of the OECD statistics and data quality assurance framework using a five-level alignment scale as follows: aligned, largely aligned, broadly aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned (Table 1.2).

Table 1.2. Alignment with OECD best policies and practices for statistical infrastructure (selected components)

Statistical infrastructure components	Source	Accuracy and credibility	Coherence	Alignment with international standards	Coverage and relevance	Timeliness and punctuality	Accessibility	Interpretability
International standards and classifications	BNS	Kazakhstan has adopted or adapted most of the major European or international classifications and standards.
Statistical business register	BNS	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Partially aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned
Labour force survey	BNS	Partially aligned	Partially aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned
Population and housing census	BNS	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Partially aligned	Partially aligned
Agricultural census	BNS	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned	Partially aligned	Partially aligned

Note: A five-level alignment scale ranging from full alignment to non-alignment is used for the assessment as follows: aligned, largely aligned, broadly aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned.

Source: Authors’ assessment based on the OECD statistics and data quality assurance framework.

1.1.3. Quality and comparability of official statistics

National accounts

Non-financial national accounts

The BNS is the official producer of annual and quarterly non-financial national accounts in Kazakhstan. The national accounts programme of the BNS is fairly comprehensive, covering a wide range of statistics and accounts, including various satellite accounts. The national accounts programme is working actively towards further alignment with international macroeconomic standards such as the 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA) and has established a taskforce to engage relevant bodies for the implementation of the 2025 SNA. Further OECD technical assistance could support this implementation process. Overall, annual and quarterly non-financial accounts appear to meet OECD requirements in terms of timeliness and punctuality, alignment with international standards, and accessibility. However, further improvements remain to be made in terms of accuracy and credibility, coverage and relevance, coherence, and interpretability.

Government finance statistics and public sector debt statistics

Government finance statistics (and public sector debt statistics) are compiled by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MoF) in accordance with the Government Finance Statistics Manual (GFSM) of 2014. Government finance statistics are published on a quarterly and annual basis. The results seem to meet OECD requirements in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, and accessibility, although some improvements may still be possible. The quarterly results also meet the requirements in terms of timeliness and punctuality, but the annual results are published with significant delay. Interpretability could also be improved.

Regarding public sector debt statistics, no information could be found. During the review process, the MoF clarified that, pursuant to a legal provision entering into force on 1 January 2026, a report containing information on public sector debt statistics for the financial year will be prepared annually, starting with 2026.

Financial accounts and balance sheets

Financial accounts and balance sheets are compiled by the BNS. Financial accounts are currently published annually, according to the statistical work plan, providing results for the five main sectors (i.e. non-financial corporations, financial corporations, government, households, and Non‑Profit Institutions Serving Households (NPISH)) and the rest of the world. The BNS does not yet compile quarterly financial accounts. Furthermore, annual financial balance sheets are currently compiled only on an experimental basis. Data on revaluations and other changes in the volume of assets are currently missing. This poses important gaps in view of OECD requirements. The financial accounts seem to meet OECD requirements in terms of alignment with international standards, accessibility, and interpretability. Further improvements can be made in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, coverage and relevance, and timeliness and punctuality. OECD technical assistance could support the implementation of the recommendations for improvement identified during this review.

Environmental-economic accounts

The OECD and the BNS organised a workshop on developing Physical Energy Flow Accounts (PEFA) and Air Emission Accounts (AEA) in June 2025 in Astana. Kazakhstan presented its PEFA compilation work at the Joint UNECE/OECD Expert Meeting on Implementation of System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) in March 2026.

Kazakhstan has made notable progress towards compiling PEFA, supported by extensive microdata across energy production, transformation and consumption, as well as detailed energy balances compiled using methodological guidance from the International Energy Agency. The draft PEFA follows SEEA Energy structures and includes detailed product classifications. Key achievements include improved distinction between transformation and end use and incorporation of natural inputs and energy residuals. Outstanding issues include territory/residence adjustments (for road, air and maritime transport), the allocation of road transport energy to industries and households, and the balancing of supply use tables through recording energy losses.

Kazakhstan has a comprehensive national greenhouse gas inventory with long time series data, providing a solid basis for developing AEA. Important progress was made during the 2025 workshop in better understanding the conceptual framework and allocation methods for applying the inventory-first approach using a matrix linking the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change categories to the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities/Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté européenne (ISIC/NACE) industries. The main technical challenges relate to implementing the residence versus territory principle for road, air, and maritime transport, with some data gaps for residents’ fuel purchases abroad and non-residents’ fuel purchases on the territory.

Consumer Price Indices and Residential Property Price Indices

The BNS compiles the Consumer Price Indices (CPIs) and Residential Property Price Indices (RPPIs), also referred to as house price indices. The Kazakh CPIs reflect the changes in prices of goods and services purchased by private households for consumption. The CPI calculation is based on a representative basket of 508 goods and services covering relevant components of consumption in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh house price indices characterise the change in the sale and rental prices of residential properties. House prices are available for different regions in Kazakhstan and are broken down by prices for new dwellings, existing dwellings and housing rent. Overall, CPIs and RPPIs compiled by the BNS are broadly aligned with OECD requirements in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility, and interpretability. Further improvements may nevertheless be considered in other areas.

Labour and labour compensation statistics

The BNS is the official producer of labour and labour compensation statistics in Kazakhstan. Overall, these statistics generally meet OECD requirements in terms of accuracy and reliability, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility, and interpretability.

Structural and demographic business statistics

The BNS does not compile business demography statistics, although it is working towards compiling and disseminating these statistics following international recommendations, noting that they may be based on data from administrative registers.

The BNS does not compile structural business statistics. The BNS compiles most of the required variables, such as turnover, but not by the required breakdowns, namely industry (ISIC) and employment size-class.

The BNS receives data on taxpayer entities (which could be used as a proxy in the OECD Timely Indicators of Entrepreneurship database) from the Committee of State Revenues of the MoF. The data provide information on taxpayers who are in liquidation and could become bankrupt, but more information would be needed to move forward.

International merchandise trade statistics and trade by enterprise characteristics statistics

The quality of international merchandise trade statistics compiled and disseminated by the BNS is good. Three main sources are used in their compilation. First, as Kazakhstan is part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), merchandise imports and exports with Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Russia - known as “Mutual Trade” - are collected through both a specific statistical form and invoices. For all other countries, data on imports and exports of goods are collected by the customs service (located in the MoF).

At the time of writing this report, Kazakhstan does not disseminate trade by enterprise characteristics statistics on a regular basis. Kazakhstan compiled and published annual trade by enterprise characteristics statistics for the reference year 2021. However, the BNS continued to compile these indicators annually although the results were not publicly released until their publication for the reference year 2025 in July 2026.

The BNS will replace the current form used to collect international merchandise trade statistics (mutual trade) with company invoices (referred to as SNT). In 2025, the BNS analysed the transition to using invoices for mutual trade statistics. It confirmed many advantages, but also noted some data gaps that still need to be addressed. Additionally, some flows will need a supplementary collection method, notably trade via international pipelines (where agreements with suppliers will be required).

Balance of payments and international trade in services statistics

The National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBK), responsible for the compilation and dissemination of balance of payments and international trade in services statistics, has a clear legal mandate to undertake this function. The NBK uses a variety of data sources in the compilation, including internal financial statistics, direct enterprise surveys and administrative data, which align well with good practice. The NBK cooperates with the BNS, the Ministry of the National Economy and other central government institutions to source the required data.

These statistics are compiled in accordance with the main international standards, including the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6) and the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010). Overall, these statistics meet OECD requirements in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility, and interpretability.

Short-term economic statistics

Kazakhstan compiles and disseminates most of the short-term economic statistics required by the OECD. These statistics align with OECD best policies and practices in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility and interpretability.

• Industrial production indices: The BNS compiles and disseminates all the required production indices (mining, manufacturing, energy and construction) and an aggregated production index. These are compiled as part of the BNS’ “Short-Term Economic Indicator” (STEI), which in turn is a major input into the monthly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimate.

• Retail sales: As part of compiling the STEI, the BNS compiles and disseminates data on retail sales in volume and value.

• Building permits granted for dwellings: At present, this indicator is not collected, compiled or disseminated by the BNS.

• Passenger car registrations: The BNS collects and disseminates a monthly “Availability of registered vehicles” indicator on its website.

In July 2025, a training seminar on seasonal adjustment for monthly and quarterly industrial and construction statistics was undertaken as part of the Asian Development Bank’s Japanese Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific Technical Assistance Project. The BNS has ongoing and planned work for short-term economic statistics on benchmarking and seasonal adjustment.

Short-term financial statistics

Kazakhstan compiles and disseminates some of the short-term financial statistics required by the OECD. The short-term financial statistics interest rates and monetary aggregates are compiled and disseminated by the NBK, while the share price index is compiled by the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE). There are no exact matches for OECD requirements of a 3-month and a 10-year interest rates. Additionally, while the KASE compiles and disseminates a share price index, there are questions around the openness of the purchase and sale of shares in the exchange.

Kazakh short-term financial statistics align with OECD best policies and practices in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, timeliness, and accessibility, and are mostly aligned in terms of interpretability.

Business Tendency Surveys and Consumer Opinion Surveys

The NBK compiles monthly Business Tendency Surveys (BTS) and commissions FusionLab (formerly GfK Kazakhstan) to undertake consumer inflation expectation surveys (with questions normally found in Consumer Opinion Surveys (COS)). The information provided by the NBK does not enable the reviewers to assess whether Kazakh BTS and COS are aligned with international standards such as the OECD Handbook on Business Tendency Surveys.

Monthly and quarterly BTS and COS (inflation expectations) statistics are published on the NBK’s data dissemination website, with limited metadata. In addition, BTS statistics are included and used in the quarterly Market Review-Outcomes of Enterprise Surveys publication and the monthly Kazakhstan Business Activity Index (BAI) publication with COS data used in the monthly Inflation Expectations publication.

At present, it is not possible to fully assess whether BTS and COS, as compiled by the NBK, are aligned with OECD best policies and practices in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility, and interpretability.

Income distribution statistics

Kazakhstan has developed a relatively strong statistical foundation for measuring income distribution, supported by the BNS and strengthened by recent efforts to modernise data sources and improve data quality. The system relies primarily on household budget survey data complemented by administrative and alternative data sources.

The review confirms strong technical capacity and commitment to innovation, including pilot work using administrative records and bank transaction data, as well as interest in integrating digital data sources to improve accuracy and timeliness. However, further work is needed to strengthen representativeness, methodological transparency, and comparability of inequality measures. OECD technical assistance could support the integration of alternative data sources and harmonisation of metadata and quality frameworks.

Well-being statistics

Kazakhstan has made significant progress in developing a comprehensive system of well-being statistics that integrates both objective and subjective dimensions of quality of life. The BNS (Department of Labour Statistics and Standards of Living) and other institutional partners, have established a solid foundation increasingly aligned with international standards and informed by collaboration with international organisations, including the OECD, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

The current system combines household survey data, administrative sources, and internationally harmonised indicators to monitor income, poverty, social conditions, food security, and broader well-being outcomes. The Quality of Life Index (QLI), introduced in 2018, reflects efforts to align national measurement with the OECD Better Life Index, while the Multidimensional Poverty Index and Child Deprivation Index provide policy-relevant insights into deprivation and inequality.

The review confirms that Kazakhstan’s statistical foundations are solid and increasingly modernised, with strong institutional commitment to digitalisation, methodological transparency, and the use of innovative data sources. At the same time, further efforts are needed to strengthen international comparability, improve metadata and interpretability, and expand regional granularity.

The BNS also expressed interest in collaborating with the OECD to further improve Kazakhstan’s QLI, with a view to strengthening international comparability and alignment with the OECD Well-being Framework methodology. It is also invited to consult the Knowledge Exchange Platform on Well-being Metrics and Policy Practice, developed by the OECD Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity, presenting information on experiences and solutions across countries on the development and policy application of well-being frameworks and associated metrics and tools.

The statistical subject domains are assessed against the seven quality objectives of the OECD statistics and data quality assurance framework using a five-level alignment scale as follows: aligned, largely aligned, broadly aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned (Table 1.3).

Table 1.3. Alignment with OECD best policies and practices by statistical subject domain

Statistical subject domains	Source	Accuracy and credibility	Coherence	Alignment with international standards	Coverage and relevance	Timeliness and punctuality	Accessibility	Interpretability
Non-financial accounts	BNS	Partially aligned	Partially aligned	Broadly aligned	Partially aligned	Aligned	Broadly aligned	Partially aligned
Government finance statistics	MoF	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned	Broadly aligned	Not aligned
Public sector debt statistics	MoF	Kazakhstan has started preparing an annual report containing public sector debt statistics pursuant to a legal provision entering into force in 2026.
Financial accounts and balance sheets	BNS	Partially aligned	Partially aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned	Not aligned	Broadly aligned	Broadly aligned
Environmental-economic accounts	BNS	Kazakhstan’s Physical Energy Flow Accounts and Air Emission Accounts are under development.
Consumer Price Indices	BNS	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Largely aligned
Residential Property Price Indices	BNS	Largely aligned	Partially aligned	Aligned	Largely aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Largely aligned
Labour and labour compensation statistics	BNS	Largely aligned	Largely aligned	Aligned	Largely aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Largely aligned
Structural Business Statistics	BNS	Kazakhstan does not compile structural business statistics.
Business Demography Statistics	BNS	Kazakhstan does not compile business demography statistics.
International Merchandise Trade Statistics	BNS	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned
Trade by Enterprise Characteristics statistics	BNS	Kazakhstan has started disseminating trade by enterprise characteristics statistics in July 2026.
Balance of payments and international trade in services statistics	NBK	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Broadly aligned	Aligned	Broadly aligned	Broadly aligned
Short-term economic statistics	BNS	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Broadly aligned	Broadly aligned
Short-term financial statistics	NBK, KASE	Aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Broadly aligned	Largely aligned	Aligned	Broadly aligned
Business Tendency Surveys (BTS) and Consumer Opinion Surveys (COS)	NBK (BTS), FusionLab (COS)	Partially aligned	Not possible to assess	Not possible to assess	Not aligned	Not aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned
Income distribution statistics	BNS	Aligned	Partially aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned	Aligned	Aligned	Partially aligned
Well-being statistics	BNS	Indicator-level assessment for selected well-being statistics.

Note: A five-level alignment scale ranging from full alignment to non-alignment is used for the assessment as follows: aligned, largely aligned, broadly aligned, partially aligned, and not aligned. In some cases, an assessment could not be carried out due to insufficient information provided (not possible to assess).

Source: Authors’ assessment based on the OECD statistics and data quality assurance framework.

1.2. Main recommendations for improvement

Kazakhstan is invited to consider the following recommendations in the areas of the legal and institutional framework (Table 1.4), statistical infrastructure (Table 1.5), and quality and comparability of official statistics by subject domain (Table 1.6). The suggested recommendations are presented with an indicative timeline and are discussed in further detail in the corresponding chapters.

Table 1.4. Suggested actions and indicative timelines for modernising the legal and institutional framework

Modernising the legal and institutional framework

Suggested actions	Lead institution	Indicative timelines
		Immediate term (0-1 year)	Short term (1-3 years)	Medium term (3-5 years)	Long term (5+ years)
Strengthen the professional independence of the BNS	BNS
Restructure roles and reallocate/reorganise tasks in the context of the ambitious plan of a large-scale modernisation and digitalisation of the statistical system	BNS
Strengthen data access rights and confidentiality provisions to cover private data sources	BNS
Increase cooperation with owners of administrative data to improve data quality	BNS	continuous, with gradual expansion of cooperation partners and initiatives
Develop standard formats for quality reporting and process documentation	BNS

Source: Authors’ recommendations based on the assessment findings.

Table 1.5. Suggested actions and indicative timelines for strengthening statistical infrastructure

Strengthening statistical infrastructure

Suggested actions	Lead institution	Indicative timelines
		Immediate term (0-1 year)	Short term (1-3 years)	Medium term (3-5 years)	Long term (5+ years)
Continue to align classifications, concepts, definitions, and methodologies across data sources and collection instruments and with the latest international guidelines	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
Continue to develop an integrated system of statistical registers	BNS	continuous, progressively integrating additional registers
Continue to explore the potential of administrative and alternative data sources to supplement or replace survey data	BNS	continuous, adopting an incremental approach to survey data replacement
Improve metadata and quality reporting (availability, completeness, scope) based on standardised formats	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
Integrate all disseminated results in the information-analytical system Taldau, reinforcing its role as a centralised dissemination platform	BNS
Continue to enhance availability of information to external users in English (e.g. classifications, agricultural census results, etc.)	BNS

Source: Authors’ recommendations based on the assessment findings.

Table 1.6. Suggested actions and indicative timelines for improving the quality and comparability of official statistics

Improving the quality and comparability of official statistics

Statistical subject domains	Suggested actions	Lead institution	Indicative timelines
			Immediate term (0-1 year)	Short term (1-3 years)	Medium term (3-5 years)	Long term (5+ years)
Non-financial accounts	Further improve the coverage of national accounts	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
	Move towards chain-linked estimation of accounts in volume terms	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
Government finance statistics and public sector debt statistics	Explore the compilation of public sector debt statistics	MoF
	Assess feasibility to shorten the publication delay of the annual government finance statistics tables to T+9 months	MoF
Financial accounts and balance sheets	Explore the feasibility to compile, in cooperation with all relevant institutions, the full set of coherent institutional sector accounts. To this end, assess available data sources and existing data gaps	BNS
	Compile and, where possible, publish results (details by subsector and item), aiming to obtain input data at the most granular level of detail	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
	Organise a workshop involving experts from other national statistical offices and develop a work plan for the coming years	BNS
Environmental-economic accounts	Finalise PEFA and AEA for 2023	BNS
	Start reporting to the global data collection by UNSD/OECD	BNS
	Explore the possibility of extending coverage (e.g. time series)	BNS
Consumer Price Indices	Continue to further investigate the possibility to include expenditure related to owner-occupied housing	BNS
	Finalise the implementation of the classification COICOP 2018	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
	Extend the geographical coverage of the consumer price indices to cover rural areas	BNS
	Continue the experimental work on price monitoring based on tax receipts	BNS
Residential Property Price Indices	Further investigate the possibility to obtain access to administrative data (e.g. land registers, tax authorities, or notaries) to complement information on asking prices with information on the actual transaction prices of properties	BNS
	Continue to develop web scraping to obtain access to online house price information	BNS
	Consider compiling house price indices broken down by dwelling type (single and multi-family dwellings)	BNS
	Continue the development and implementation of hedonic methods in the compilation of house price indices	BNS
Labour and labour compensation statistics	Assess the impact of changes (e.g. input data sources, data collection methods, etc.) on survey estimates	BNS	continuously, as changes are being implemented
Structural and demographic business statistics	Further investigate the most efficient way to continue observing the economic structure	BNS
International merchandise trade statistics and trade by enterprise characteristics	Continue to address the challenges associated with the transition to a new source of mutual trade data	BNS
	Start publishing trade by enterprise characteristics statistics based on the integration of international trade with the statistical business register	BNS
Balance of payments and international trade in services statistics	Extend the coverage of the international trade in services by partner country data	NBK	as soon as operationally feasible
Short-term economic statistics	Collect, compile and disseminate building permits granted for dwellings	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
Short-term financial statistics	Consider the compilation and dissemination of seasonally adjusted monetary aggregates	NBK
Business Tendency Surveys and Consumer Opinion Surveys	Undertake a redesign of both the questions (and possible responses offered) and compilation methods (e.g. from diffusion to net balances) to align indicators with those required by the OECD	NBK	as soon as operationally feasible
Income distribution statistics	Improve coverage and representativeness (improve completeness and ensure statistical representativeness across income groups)	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
	Enhance coherence with national accounts	BNS
	Expand analytical outputs and comparability (e.g. by publishing additional inequality indicators such as S20/S80 ratios or decile ratios)	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
Well-being statistics	Expand regional and demographic granularity	BNS	as soon as operationally feasible
	Explore new thematic areas and data innovations (expand well-being measurement to emerging areas such as digital well-being, mental health, and social connectedness)	BNS	continuously, as suitable data become available

Source: Authors’ recommendations based on the assessment findings.

References

[3] Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2024), Roadmap for the development of government statistics and the national data ecosystem for 2023-2025, https://stat.gov.kz/en/initiatives/road-map/.

[2] OECD (2015), Recommendation of the Council on Good Statistical Practice, OECD/LEGAL/0417, https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0417.

[1] UNECE et al. (2023), Global Assessment of the National Statistical System of Kazakhstan: Final Report, https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/GA%20Kazakhstan%202023%20Report.pdf.