OECD Reviews of National Statistical Systems: Kazakhstan 2026

3. Statistical and data infrastructure

3.1. International standards and classifications

3.1.1. Assessment and recommendations

The Law on State Statistics, the main legal act regulating the production of official statistics in the Republic of Kazakhstan, provides a strong legal basis for a centralised classification management system to be used by all state bodies.

A 2024 amendment to the law introduced the concept of “National Reference Information”. This refers to a set of classifiers, catalogues, reference books, nomenclatures and other technical and economic information. These elements are to be developed and approved by authorised state bodies, in agreement with the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (BNS) and in the manner determined by the BNS. The BNS has started developing a Digital Service National Background Information, a unified system for the creation, structuring and management of “National Reference Information”.

The BNS has established an agreement with Smart Data Ukimet, a national information and analytical platform managed by a state-owned company, for the transmission and distribution of the national reference information. Statistical classification information is also available on the BNS website, mostly in Kazakh or Russian, with some information also available in English.

The BNS has undertaken a review of its statistical and data architecture including its classification management system. To further align with international standards, the BNS is invited to consider the following suggestions for improvement:

• Align statistical information management with international standards: Consider the feasibility of designing the classification management system (Digital Service National Background Information) in line with established international information management standards such as the Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM): Statistical Classifications Model.

• Improve communication with internal and external users on plans to adopt the latest classification versions of European and international statistical classifications and standards, on a regular basis and as far in advance as feasible.

• Improve accessibility of classification information in English: Provide more information on statistical classifications and standards in English.

3.1.2. Context, content and methodology

Article 5(1) of the Law on State Statistics, the main legal act regulating the production of official statistics by the BNS, states that one of the basic principles of the state statistics shall be “consistency and comparability of the state statistics with generally accepted international standards, classifications and methods”.

On 5 July 2024, the main legal act was amended by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on State Statistics and Data Management (No. 115-VIII) introducing the concept of “National Reference Information”. The Rules for the development and approval of elements of the national reference information have been approved to support the work of state bodies in a manner determined by the BNS. The BNS has further established an agreement with Smart Data Ukimet, a national information and analytical platform managed by a state-owned company, for the transmission and distribution of the national reference information.

Additional methodological documents are elaborated and approved in accordance with the Law on State Statistics such as:

• Standard methodology for maintaining departmental classifications, adopted on 18 March 2015

• Methodology for determining the main type of economic activity of an enterprise, adopted on 7 September 2020

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 carries 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, a unified system for the creation, structuring and management of national reference information for all state bodies. At the time of drafting this report, the system contains over 130 reference classifiers, including international, interstate, national, and departmental classifiers, as well as reference books. A pilot has been deployed to more than a dozen government agencies, which have provided feedback on technical matters. The National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBK) would also be contributing to and using this system. An analysis of over 3 000 classifiers and reference books has been carried out, and work is underway to refine the logic of business processes in modules and functions. The BNS plans to make extensive documentation available to system users including private organisations. The BNS is invited to consider the feasibility of designing this unified system in line with established international information management standards such as the Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM): Statistical Classifications Model.

Statistical classification information is also available on the BNS website. The user interface and most of the information are available in Kazakh or Russian with some reference documents also available in English.

On the website, classification information is organised into international, interstate, national and departmental classifications, as well as reference books. The same classifications may appear under different categories such as international and departmental categories if a national equivalent classification is available (e.g. COFOG (КФОГУ) and COPNI (КЦНО)). Information is provided on the acronym, introduction date, update date, relevant international standard, and links to relevant documents. Concordance tables, content under consideration and archived content are also provided, although the information is not necessarily organised or categorised by classification.

The BNS has adopted or adapted most of the major European or international classifications and standards for the statistical programmes under review (summarised in Table 3.1).

Table 3.1. A summary of classifications and standards in use, by statistical subject domain

Statistical subject domains	Standards and classifications
Annual and Quarterly National Accounts	COICOP 2001 COPNI 2001 COFOG 1999 CN 2022 NACE Revision 2 CPA 2008
Financial Accounts and Financial Balance Sheets
Government Finances and Public Sector Debt
Business Statistics	NACE Revision 2
International Trade in Goods Statistics	The Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity of the Eurasian Economic Union
International Trade in Services Statistics
Consumer Price Indices	COICOP 1999
Producer Price Indices	NACE Revision 2 CPA 2008 PRODCOM
Balance of Payments
Labour Force Statistics	NACE Revision 2 ISCO-88 ICSE-93
Population Statistics	ICD-10 ISCED 2011
Indexes of Production and Demand
Business Tendency and Consumer Opinion Surveys

Note: All acronyms for the statistical standards and classifications used in this table are defined in a reference table in the front matter of this publication (under Abbreviations and acronyms).

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

More recent versions for some of the classifications have been released, including COICOP 2018, CPA 2.2, CN 2025, NACE Revision 2.1, ISCO-08, ICSE-18 and ICD-11. The BNS plans to update some classifications to their latest versions, including moving towards COICOP 2018 in 2026. The BNS is encouraged to improve communication on its plans to adopt the latest versions of European and international statistical standards and classifications to both internal and external users on a regular basis and as far in advance as feasible.

3.2. Statistical business register

3.2.1. Assessment and recommendations

The Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (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. The BNS has a strong legal basis for accessing external data sources.

The statistical business register is part of a system of integrated basic statistical registers in addition to the agricultural register, the housing register and the population register with the information system on classifications and standards at the core of this integrated system.

Since 2022, the BNS has been implementing the “Digital Statistical Registers” project. The project aims to create digital registers for all sectors of the economy and update them based on data from government agencies and alternative sources. Its objectives are to reduce the response burden and increase the reliability of statistical information based on administrative data. In 2024, the list of national registers was approved, on the basis of which the digital registers are being enriched.

The statistical business register maintained by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility, and interpretability, and partially aligns in terms of coverage and relevance. The BNS is invited to consider the following suggestions and recommendations for further improvements:

• Improve accuracy and credibility: Publish a regular quality report on the statistical business register, including an assessment of the quality of at least some of the key input data sources.

• Improve coherence: Continue with efforts to develop an integrated system of statistical registers covering all sectors of the economy. The BNS is also encouraged to continuously explore ways for reducing the response burden particularly on small businesses.

• Improve alignment with international standards: Continue to align definitions and methodological practices with the latest international guidelines such as the 2024 Guidelines on Statistical Business Register published by the United Nations for further practical and timely guidance.

• Improve coverage and relevance: Improve the variable and unit coverage of the statistical business register. The BNS is also encouraged to participate more actively in relevant international working groups.

• Improve punctuality: Provide information on potential release delays in the event that such delays occur.

3.2.2. Context, data sources and methodology

The Law on State Statistics mandates the BNS to maintain statistical registers including a “statistical business register, comprising data on individual entrepreneurs and legal entities registered in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, their separate units” (Article 23(2)1). Furthermore, it establishes that the “updating of statistical register data shall be carried out based on primary statistical and (or) administrative data, and (or) alternative data” (Article 23(8)). The methodology for maintaining and updating the information on the statistical business register is elaborated and approved in accordance with the Law on State Statistics.

The Entrepreneur Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (No. 375-V LRK) adopted on 29 October 2015, and regularly amended (as recently as September 2025), governs business activities and the interaction of business entities and the state.

The Law on State Statistics also provides the legal basis for the BNS to access data sources needed to produce official statistical information. These include data from the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBK) and other government agencies, as well as from owners and holders of non-administrative alternative data (Articles 12(15-2), 12(15-3) and 12(15-4)). Additional legal acts, rules and regulations include:

• Law on Personal Data and their Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 94-V of 21 May 2013

• Law on State Registration of Legal Entities and Record Registration of Branches and Representative Offices of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 2198 of 17 April 1995

• Law on Taxes and Other Obligatory Payments to the Budget (Tax Code) No. 121-VI of 25 December 2017

• Law on National Registers of Identification Numbers No. 223 of 12 January 2007

• Rules for submission of primary statistical data by respondents No. 173 of 9 July 2010

• Statistical form “Report on types of economic activities” (index 1-SR, once a year)

The BNS maintains a system of integrated basic statistical registers comprising the statistical business register, the agricultural register, the housing register and the population register with the information system on classifications and standards at the core of this integrated system. The Department of Statistical Registers and Classifications of the BNS is responsible for maintaining the statistical registers. Within the department, a team of five to six employees is responsible for the architecture and development of the statistical registers, while another team of a similar size is responsible for their maintenance. Additionally, nearly 90 employees carry out daily maintenance and updating of the statistical registers in the territorial departments of the BNS. Internal and external data sources feed information to this integrated system.

Internal sources of information used to update and maintain the statistical business register include:

• Information received through the “Respondent’s Account” on the official BNS website, which includes contact information (phone number, e-mail address), main or secondary economic activity and list number of subjects. Respondents can view and propose updates to their legal information stored in the statistical business register. Any potential updates are reviewed by internal experts before they are permanently applied.

• Results of the collection of statistical surveys, which include contact information (phone number, e-mail address), situational code, primary or secondary economic activity, list number and economic indicators of subjects. Specifically, for economic activity, the statistical form “Report on types of economic activities” (index 1-SR) is completed once a year.

External sources of information used to update and maintain the statistical business register include information from the systems of the following state bodies and other sources:

• Ministry of Justice - State Database “Legal Entities”: Electronic notifications with information on newly registered legal entities, branches, representative offices and subjects of individual entrepreneurship in the form of joint ventures, as well as information on changes (change of the head, owners, names, addresses, etc.).

• Ministry of Finance - Information system of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance: Information on registration, de-registration and change of information on individual entrepreneurs (online); information about taxpayers who have suspended the submission of tax reports (twice a year); information on the number of employees (quarterly); and information on the amounts of taxes paid and other mandatory payments to the budget (monthly).

• Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry (GBD “e-licensing”): Information on licences issued by licensors of the Republic of Kazakhstan to legal entities or individuals engaged in entrepreneurial activities (online, daily).

• Ministry of Labour and Social Protection: Information on the amounts of social benefits and the number of recipients of social benefits on the basis of the list of entities that have listed mandatory pension contributions (quarterly).

• Cellular operators: Contact information is received for respondents (twice a year).

The statistical business register contains legal and statistical units. Legal units refer to legal entities, branches of legal entities, branches of foreign legal entities and subjects of individual entrepreneurship. The statistical unit is an abstract unit created on the basis of the legal unit for statistical purposes. In the statistical business register, the following types of units are created for legal units: group of enterprises, enterprise, local unit, unit of type of activity and local unit of type of activity. Longitudinal (transaction, latest available information with change log) and cross-sectional instances (typically created at the start of the calendar year) of the statistical business register are maintained.

The statistical business register is maintained and updated in accordance with the methodological provisions set out in Methodology on maintenance and updating of the information system Statistical Business Register, approved by the Order of the Head of the BNS dated 31 December 2021. In addition, the responsible Department of Statistical Registers and Classifications of the BNS is continuously working on the improvement of the register, in accordance with international recommendations and within the framework of the national digital ecosystem.

Since 2022, the BNS has been implementing the project “Digital Statistical Registers”, planning 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 the response burden and increasing the reliability of the generated statistical information based on administrative data. In 2024, the list of national registers has been approved, on the basis of which the digital registers are being enriched. In addition to the statistical business register, the project aims to cover the following digital registers: construction; ecology and the environment; real estate; agriculture; foreign and mutual trade; industry; ICT and communications; vehicles; energy; roads and infrastructure; finance; culture and tourism; education and science; population; and health. The BNS is adopting a systematic long-term approach to the development of this system of registers with no pre-established timelines for the project completion. The BNS is gradually building these registers, and the set of registers will be conditional on the availability of high-quality and reliable data and development priorities.

3.2.3. Quality dimensions and indicators

Accuracy and credibility

Overall, the statistical business register maintained by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility. The BNS is encouraged to consider publishing a quality report of the statistical business register on a regular basis which also includes an assessment of the quality of at least some of the key input data sources to the statistical business register.

A variety of survey, administrative and alternative data sources are used to update and maintain the statistical business register with a strong legal basis for the BNS to access external data sources. External sources include administrative data from several government entities such as the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Local Executive Body, which feed information into the system of integrated basic statistical registers via the Electronic Government Gateway. The methodology for updating the statistical business register is elaborated by data source type. Much of the information feeding into the statistical business register is collected electronically (via the platform of the BNS or via the Electronic Government Gateway for data from other government agencies).

The statistical business register is considered an integral part of the official statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan as in the most advanced national statistical systems.

Coherence

Overall, the statistical business register maintained by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coherence. The BNS is strongly encouraged to continue with its efforts to further develop its integrated system of statistical registers. Moreover, the BNS is encouraged to continuously explore ways to reduce the response burden particularly on small businesses.

The statistical business register is part of a system of integrated basic statistical registers in addition to the agricultural register, the housing register and the population register with the information system on classifications and standards at the core of this integrated system. The BNS has been implementing the project “Digital Statistical Registers”, planning to create digital registers for all sectors of the economy.

The statistical business register is used as a tool for preparing and coordinating the conduct of nationwide statistical surveys. More than 25 sample designs are generated annually by the Department of Statistical Registers and Classifications of the BNS to conduct sample surveys with varying periodicities in different statistical fields using the basic statistical registers (statistical agricultural register, statistical business register, statistical housing register) as sampling frames.

The BNS conducts monthly statistical surveys of enterprises covering six branches of the economy: agriculture (2-ag, 3-ag, 24-ag, 1-fish, 2-hunting, 1-forest, 29-ag, 8-ag), industry (1-I), construction (1-КS, 1-IS, D 004), wholesale and retail trade (2-trade), transport and storage (1-transport, 2-ТР), and telecommunications (3-communication). These surveys use harmonised sampling designs and a centralised collection and processing system. In order to reduce the burden on respondents, the BNS conducts surveys of small businesses using a sample of 30% of the general population. The BNS is encouraged to continuously explore ways for reducing the response burden particularly on small businesses which may include, among others, minimising sample sizes, reducing and further harmonising questionnaire content across domains, and minimising the applicability of surveys on small businesses.

The size class definition adopted by Eurostat and the OECD, based on the number of employees, refers to micro enterprises with fewer than 10 employees, small enterprises with 10 to 49 employees, medium-sized enterprises with 50 to 249 employees and large enterprises with 250 or more employees. The breakdown adopted by the BNS refers to micro enterprise with fewer than 15 employees, small enterprises with 100 or fewer employees, medium enterprises with 101 to 250 employees, and large enterprises with 251 employees or more. The BNS plans to explore alternative size measures such as total annual income or possibly a combined approach. This approach would require preliminary work ensuring the completeness of economic data in administrative sources as well as improving statistical processes.

A rigorous change management system is in place with any updates to the statistical business register regularly scheduled and carried out by subject matter experts with requests for updates assessed before being accepted or rejected.

Alignment with international standards

The statistical business register maintained by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of alignment with international standards. The BNS is encouraged to continue to align definitions and methodological practices with the latest international guidelines such as the 2024 Guidelines on Statistical Business Register published by the United Nations (UN, 2024[1]).

The BNS follows regional statistical classifications, standards and recommendations established by the Eurasian Economic Union. The BNS should consider applying more standard definitions of large, medium, small and micro enterprises, to improve international comparability of data.

The methodology for maintaining and updating the statistical business register (effective since 2017) is elaborated in accordance with national legislation and international standards and recommendations in the field of business statistics.

Coverage and relevance

The statistical business register maintained by the BNS partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coverage and relevance. The BNS could improve the variable coverage by improving the quality of existing variables (e.g. economic activity), including additional characteristics (e.g. georeferencing) or responding to user requests for additional unit coverage such as legal entities outside the Republic of Kazakhstan that are resident (foreign entities operating in the Republic of Kazakhstan). The BNS is also encouraged to participate more actively in relevant international working groups.

The statistical business register includes information on legal entities registered in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, its structural divisions, as well as subjects of individual entrepreneurship. It carries basic administrative information about legal units and economic information about statistical units (enterprise group, company, local unit, unit of activity and local unit of activity).

The statistical business register is continuously updated with new information as soon as the information becomes available. Updates could be carried out daily, monthly, quarterly or annually depending on the information being updated.

The statistical business register carries information on the main and secondary economic activity of the legal unit. Variables indicating the source of the information and the date when it has been last updated are also maintained. The economic activity is determined at the time of registration of the legal entity (i.e. it is self-reported). It is shared with other government agencies (e.g. for tax purposes) and can be updated only under limited conditions due to these dependencies. Legal representatives can request to update the main economic activity information on the statistical business register by logging into their “Respondent’s Account” via the BNS website. The BNS also conducts an annual survey (“Report on types of economic activities”, index 1-SR) covering the first nine months of the calendar year to report and update the economic activity information on the statistical business register. The BNS has elaborated a methodology for determining the main type of economic activity of an enterprise (effective 2020). The BNS is encouraged to distinguish between self-reported economic activity, which can be updated only under limited conditions, and statistically assigned economic activity, which can be updated as new information becomes available, using well-established statistical methodology. The BNS should also ensure that information from other sources, such as feedback from other statistical surveys or departments within the BNS, is considered when determining the correct economic activity classification.

At the time of drafting this report, the statistical business register did not contain georeferenced information. An address register exists which has a unique address identification number, but geographic coordinates are not available in this register. At the same time, the National Spatial Data Infrastructure Geoportal (NSDI Geoportal), a reference state geoinformation platform owned by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, provides access to spatial data and geoinformation services used by government agencies. The location information contained therein may be considered a potential source of geographic coordinates for ensuring the spatial referencing of statistical data.

The BNS has responded to user requests for additional unit coverage on persons engaged in private practice (self-employed). Relevant administrative data (e.g. for notaries, accountants, lawyers) have been identified and integrated into the statistical business register. No suitable administrative source has been identified for information on foreign affiliates, and the BNS is encouraged to investigate other options for collecting these data.

The BNS responds to calls for relevant data collections (questionnaires) of international organisations, the Eurasian Economic Commission, and the Interstate Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Experts from the BNS have also participated in international expert groups on business registers (e.g. 24th Meeting of the Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers in 2014).

Timeliness and punctuality

The statistical business register maintained by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of timeliness and punctuality. The BNS could consider providing information on potential release delays (e.g. revised release date, reason for delay) in the event that such delays occur.

The BNS releases individual directories (“catalogues”) based on frozen snapshots of the statistical business register (slice storage) to internal users with regular periodicity and specific purpose:

• monthly, on the 18th day of the reporting month

• quarterly, on the 18th day of the last month of the reporting quarter

• semi-annually, on the 18th day of the last month of the reporting half-year

• annually, on 18 December of the reporting period

• according to statistical form 1-NP for each reporting year (for newly created legal entities, branches and representative offices that have been registered with the registration authorities or at the Astana International Financial Centre)

The BNS releases a number of publications based on aggregated data from the statistical business register including:

• weekly, lists of registered legal entities, branches and affiliates of foreign legal entities by regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan

• monthly, newsletter accompanied with data spreadsheets

• quarterly, the number of individual entrepreneurs under the age of 35 and legal entities owned (100%) by persons under the age of 35

In 2024, the BNS released an interactive dashboard, dynamics of enterprises according to the business register, that carries information on monthly, quarterly and annual indicators and is updated regularly.

The BNS maintains an up-to-date release calendar with release dates and products indicated at least 12 months (and up to three years by law) in advance on a rolling basis. Summary lists of released data series by theme, periodicity, publication date and format are available for some years (2022, 2023). Prior releases can also be filtered by year, periodicity and sub-topic under the specific statistical subject domain. The BNS has also prepared and published the 2025-2027 schedule for the dissemination of official statistical information on the unified platform of internet resources of government agencies, organised by thematic areas such as national accounts, enterprises, healthcare, standard of living, etc. (BNS, n.d.[2]).

Accessibility

The statistical business register maintained by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accessibility.

Access to information from the statistical business register for internal users is controlled based on the roles and functions performed by users. Access to non-confidential information from the statistical business register to external users is provided by the BNS in accordance with national legislation (Article 28(13) of the Entrepreneurial Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan as well as Article 8(4) of the Law on State Statistics).

Authorised users (with user accounts) can search legal entities and individual entrepreneurs using business or individual identification numbers and economic activity.

Publications in HTML format include interactive figures and charts with links to corresponding data tables provided in Excel (for the current time period) and in Excel, JSON and CSV formats (for dynamic tables, updated continuously over time). The HTML publications are also downloadable in PDF format. The dates of the current and next publication are clearly indicated and information on the responsible department and associated contact details are also included. Additionally, an interactive dashboard summarises key indicators derived based on the statistical business register in an intuitive manner for users.

The BNS also maintains the information-analytical system Taldau, which provides a centralised platform for all key sector statistics produced by the BNS. On the main page, the content can be searched and filtered by periodicity or type of indicator. The platform includes analytical functionalities (e.g. exploring the correlation between indicators) and integrated infographics and allows users to visualise the data in interactive charts and figures.

An API service is also available for the electronic dissemination of official statistical information, based on the principles of the Open Data portal. Through this API service, users can retrieve the required statistical indicators online in a machine-readable electronic format suitable for further processing and analysis using various software applications and analytical tools.

Interpretability (availability of metadata)

The statistical business register maintained by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of interpretability.

The BNS maintains a very user-friendly website, with clear organisation of the information flow and relevant supporting information (classifications, methodological papers, survey questionnaires, etc.) mostly available in three languages, Kazakh, Russian and English.

Publications are released in Kazakh, Russian and English. Publications include links to glossary terms and to relevant methodological information as well as to other relevant indicators where applicable. Key metadata are included with the data disseminated in the Taldau information-analytical system.

3.3. Labour force survey

3.3.1. Assessment and recommendations

The Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (BNS) conducts the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population, the national labour force survey, in accordance with the Law on State Statistics.

The statistical housing register maintained by the BNS is used to construct the sampling frame. A two‑stage stratified cluster sampling design is used to select the sample. The sample is stratified at the district level. The sample is generated once a year and evenly spread over 12 months. Data are collected monthly using personal interviews with electronic questionnaires (as of 2025). A two-month rotational panel design is used, where each month from February, a portion of the households are surveyed for two consecutive months.

The BNS has conducted the survey since 2001. Results from the survey are released in a variety of formats and channels on the BNS website monthly at the national level, quarterly at the regional level, and annually at the district level.

The BNS is carrying out further research and development activities. These include exploring the use of administrative data for deriving alternative labour market trackers, transitioning to quality control of the collected data using GPS systems, and using Business Intelligence tools in data analysis and as a method for publishing indicators.

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility, and interpretability, and partially aligns in terms of accuracy and credibility, and coherence. The BNS is invited to consider the following suggestions for further improvements:

• Improve accuracy and credibility: Produce a quality report for the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population on a regular basis. The BNS could also refine the methodology for deriving accuracy metrics to account for the complexity of the survey design. The BNS is also encouraged to assess the impact of population census revisions on the accuracy of labour force survey estimates.

• Improve coherence: Continue exploring alternative data sources to produce labour market indicators and assess the coherence between these sources and survey data before integrating them. The BNS should also investigate any possible breaks in series on its labour market indicators potentially arising because of a new population census or integration of alternative data sources.

• Improve alignment with international standards: Consider improving the survey revision policy to better account for the impact of population census revisions on historical labour force survey data.

3.3.2. Context, data sources and methodology

The BNS conducts the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population, the national labour force survey, in accordance with the Law on State Statistics.

The statistical housing register maintained by the BNS, and part of an integrated system of statistical registers, is used to construct the sampling frame. The housing register, also referred to as the Statistical register of housing stock, is constantly updated with information on households in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It carries information on all residential buildings and residential premises including single-family houses, two-family houses, and buildings with three or more apartment units. The main table contains information on the residential building, while an additional table contains information about each apartment unit of the residential building including the number of occupants.

The sampling methodology for the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population has been developed jointly with experts from the German Statistical Office DESTATIS as part of the KAZSTAT Project to Strengthen the National Statistical System of Kazakhstan. Two-stage stratified cluster sampling design is used to select the sample. The sample is stratified at the district level. The primary sampling unit is the residential building, and the secondary sampling unit is the household with all persons aged 15 and over in the household included in the sample. The sample is generated once a year and evenly spread over 12 months. A household sampled in the current year has an equal probability of being selected again in the sample of the following year. A two-month rotational panel design is used, where each month from February, a portion of the households are surveyed for two consecutive months.

Data are collected monthly (in the second week of the month) via personal interviews conducted by approximately 380 interviewers in the field using electronic questionnaires (as of 2025), with the BNS transitioning to quality control of the collected data using GPS systems. Proxy answers are allowed.

The BNS has a dedicated section on its website where experimental statistics on labour market indicators are published. The BNS is developing alternative analytical trackers of the state of the labour market based on mandatory pension contributions and carrying out research on the use of data from the State Revenue Committee to assess the actual employment of the population. The BNS is further building interactive dashboards based on labour market indicators.

3.3.3. Quality dimensions and indicators

Accuracy and credibility

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility. The BNS has produced a quality report on key results from the survey and is encouraged to produce a quality report on the survey (i.e. the data collection instrument) on a regular basis. The quality report and released results include information on accuracy metrics. The BNS could refine the methodology for deriving these metrics to account for the complexity of the survey design and assess the impact of census revisions on survey estimates.

• The entire sample is updated annually based on an updated sampling frame (database of the Statistical Register of Housing Stock). The sample size is roughly 228 000 households per year which represents less than 5% of the total households (determined to be the optimal sample size based on the requirements by the BNS).

• Reasons for non-response are analysed and measures to adjust for non-response are taken accordingly. Reserve samples are selected using the same design as the main sample. Sampled households that do not respond are substituted for households on the reserve sample only for pre-established reasons, such as when the housing unit cannot be found. Addresses of residential premises are not substituted in cases where household members are absent or refuse to participate in the survey. For these cases, design weights are adjusted to account for non-response.

• As of 2025, the BNS has transitioned to using entirely electronic questionnaires for the data collection for the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population.

• The BNS produces estimates of accuracy including the standard sampling error, relative standard sampling error, and maximum error. The accuracy indicators are calculated and published quarterly. The main requirement for the results of the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population is to obtain representative data at the district level with a standard sampling error for the unemployment rate indicator at the level of 5-7%.

• The BNS does not revise historical survey data following a new population census for the years preceding the new census year. The BNS is encouraged to assess the impact of census revisions on survey estimates (especially in the years immediately preceding the new census year where revisions to the population totals are expected to be the most significant).

• The annual results deviate slightly from the arithmetic mean of the four quarters, since the annual results are the arithmetic mean of the monthly results, and not the quarterly results (deviation of around 0.01%).

Coherence

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coherence. The BNS is encouraged to continue exploring alternative data sources to produce labour market indicators and to ensure coherence of survey data with these data sources is carefully assessed prior to integrating these sources. The BNS should also investigate any possible breaks in series potentially arising as a result of census revisions.

The BNS has indicated that the labour market indicators it produces are fully comparable with the Commonwealth of Independent States and European countries.

Data from 2022 onwards are based on the results of the 2021 National Population Census. The BNS does not produce revised population totals for the years preceding the new census year and labour market data series are not revised for these prior years thus potentially introducing a break in series (not indicated in the released data tables). Revisions to the released results are carried out only for dynamic series (series over time) due to revision of classifications or changes in methodology. The BNS should investigate any possible breaks in series potentially arising as a result of census revisions.

The BNS publishes estimates on registered unemployment (based on administrative data). Employment data by type of economic activity are provided to the Department of National Accounts for the calculation of the “Labour Productivity” indicators. The BNS is exploring alternative data sources (mandatory pension contributions, data from the State Revenue Committee) to develop analytical alternative trackers of the state of the labour market.

Alignment with international standards

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of alignment with international standards. The BNS follows national regulations, definitions, and concepts outlined in the Social Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, regional statistical classifications and standards established by the Commonwealth of Independent States and European countries (NACE Revision 2, ISCO-08, ICSE-93), as well as international standards adopted by the International Labour Organization (Resolutions of the 19th, 20th, and 21st International Conference of Labor Statisticians). To further align with international best practices, the BNS could consider improving its survey revision policy to better account for the impact of census revisions on its historical survey estimates.

Coverage and relevance

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coverage and relevance.

The survey covers the entire territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the same time. The target population includes all types of residential premises, with the exception of common communal apartments, hostels, medical and social institutions (organisations) for the elderly, persons with disabilities, children with disabilities in a hospital, orphanages, prisons, hotels, religious communities and other similar residential premises. To reduce response burden, settlements with less than 100 households are excluded from the target population. Armed Forces are included but conscripts in the Armed Forces who live in barracks and military zones are excluded.1

The survey is conducted monthly with the second full week of the month (Monday to Sunday) being the reference period. The main labour market indicators are produced on a monthly basis, and all indicators are produced on a quarterly and annual basis. Indicators at the regional and district level are also produced (quarterly and annually, respectively). The BNS has conducted the survey since 2001.

All household members aged 15 and over in the sampled household are surveyed. Answers to the survey questions are provided directly by the respondents or, in the case of proxy responses, by cohabiting respondents aged 15 and over.

All sectors and activities are covered. Main indicators of the labour market by gender are provided. Data on the number of employees is broken down by type of economic activity. Statistics on self-employed persons are generated on both a quarterly and an annual basis. The BNS also produces indicators of informal employment and decent work.

Timeliness and punctuality

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of timeliness and punctuality.

Results from the survey are released on the BNS website at the national, regional and district level:

• monthly - 10 days after the end of the reporting period

• quarterly - 45 days after the end of the reporting quarter

• annually - 90 days after the end of the reporting year

The BNS releases the following publications annually:

• Main indicators of the labour market (also published quarterly)

• Main indicators of the labour market in the regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan by districts

• Statistical indicators for measuring decent work

• Number of informally employed population

The BNS maintains an up-to-date release calendar on its website, with release dates and products indicated at least 12 months (and up to three years by law) in advance. The 2025-2027 schedule for dissemination of official statistical information by the BNS is also formed and published on the unified platform of internet resources of government agencies organised by thematic areas such as national accounts, enterprises, healthcare, standard of living, etc. (BNS, n.d.[2]). Prior releases can also be filtered by year, periodicity and sub-topic under the specific statistical subject domain.

Accessibility

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accessibility.

The BNS maintains on its website information on the provision of databases in a de-identified form for scientific purposes. The BNS provides access to (de-identified) microdata from the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population at the request of researchers and also makes offline databases available in data research centres in Astana and Almaty. The BNS maintains on its website a list of researchers who have applied for data access with information on the date of the application, organisation and name of the research, provided data (form, frequency, period) and purpose. In 2026, the BNS is planning to provide online access to its databases in de-identified form to researchers in accordance with the “Rules for the presentation of databases in de-identified form for use in scientific and scientific-technical activities”.

Publications in HTML format include interactive figures and charts with links to corresponding data tables provided in Excel (for the current time period) and in Excel, JSON and CSV formats (for dynamic tables, updated continuously over time). The HTML publications are also downloadable in PDF format. The dates of the current and next publication are clearly indicated and information on the responsible department and associated contact details are also included. For older publications (e.g. from 2024) some reference links to supporting methodological documents may be broken but the documents are retrievable from the methodological section of the BNS website.

The BNS maintains the information-analytical system Taldau, which provides a centralised platform for all key sector statistics produced by the BNS. On the main page, the content can be searched and also filtered by periodicity or type of indicator. The platform includes analytical functionalities (e.g. exploring the correlation between indicators) and integrated infographics, and allows users to visualise the data in interactive charts and figures. The BNS is further building interactive dashboards based on labour market indicators.

Interpretability (availability of metadata)

The Sample Survey of Employment of the Population conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of interpretability.

The BNS maintains a very user-friendly website, with clear organisation of the information flow and relevant supporting information (classifications, methodological papers, survey questionnaires, instructions for completing the questionnaires, etc.) mostly available in three languages, Kazakh, Russian and English.

Publications are released in Kazakh, Russian and English. Publications include glossary terms and links to relevant methodological information as well as to other relevant indicators where applicable. The methodological information for constructing the sample for the Sample Survey of Employment of the Population is comprehensive. In the Taldau platform, key metadata are included alongside the data. Survey metadata are also available in the internal Bitrix system for project management (for internal users only).

3.4. Other household surveys

3.4.1. Household budget survey

Article 12(16) of the Law on State Statistics gives the BNS responsibility for collecting information from households on their income and expenditure.

The BNS conducts a quarterly household budget survey, the household budget and welfare survey. The methodological basis for the survey includes:

• Social Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 224-VII of 20 April 2023

• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Guide on Poverty Measurement (2017) (UNECE, 2017[3])

• Resolutions adopted by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians

The household budget and welfare survey is a sample survey of 12 000 households based on the statistical housing register as the sampling frame. The statistical housing register is part of a system of integrated basic statistical registers. The sample design follows a rotation scheme, with 25% of the sampled units updated each year using the latest housing register database for the general population. The survey is conducted quarterly covering all regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the same time. Data are collected using personal interviews via paper and electronic questionnaires with nearly 400 interviewers involved. The BNS is gradually transitioning to entirely digital data collection methods for its household surveys including the household budget survey.

Estimates of accuracy of the parameters of the sampling population are produced such as the standard sampling error, relative standard error of sampling, and maximum error. The main requirement for the results of the quarterly survey is to obtain representative data at the regional level with a standard sampling error for the indicator “income used for consumption” at the level of 5-7%. The accuracy indicators of the assessed results are calculated and published quarterly. The BNS is also preparing a quality report.

Data are disseminated at the national and regional level on a quarterly and annual frequency. Quarterly data are released on the BNS website 75 days after the end of the reference quarter and annual data are released 90 days after the end of the reference year. A release calendar is provided on the BNS website and the schedule for dissemination of official statistical information including household budget survey results is also published on the unified platform of internet resources of government agencies (BNS, n.d.[2]). Revisions are made only for dynamic series due to revision of classifications, territories or changes in methodology.

Microdata (offline databases) are accessible on premises in the researcher’s office in Astana and Almaty. The BNS maintains on its website a list of researchers who have applied for data access with information on the date of the application, organisation and name of the research, provided data (form, frequency, period) and purpose. In 2026, the BNS is planning to start providing online access to its databases in de-identified form to researchers in accordance with the “Rules for the presentation of databases in de-identified form for use in scientific and scientific-technical activities”.

The following key publications are released:

• Income and expenses of the population - quarterly and annually

• Differentiation of population income - quarterly and annually

• Food consumption - quarterly and annually

• Production activities of households - quarterly and annually

• Quality of life of the population - annually

• Tobacco consumption by the adult population - annually

• Socio-demographic characteristics of households - annually

• Information on household improvement - annually

• Energy value of food products consumed by the population - annually

The BNS has generated thematic dashboards on income and expenditures.

Data are comparable with data from other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (stages of data harmonisation have been completed). Methodological information is available on the BNS website in Kazakh, Russian and English and metadata are also included along with the results disseminated in the information-analytical system Taldau. Survey metadata are further available in the internal Bitrix system for project management (for internal users only).

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 as a method for publishing indicators.

3.5. Population and housing census

3.5.1. Assessment and recommendations

The Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (BNS) is mandated by law to conduct national censuses including the population and housing census at least once every ten years. 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.

For the 2021 National Population Census, the BNS implemented a pilot census and improved data collection (e.g. transitioned to entirely digital data collection methods) and dissemination (e.g. created interactive dashboards). 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 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 register-based census, where data from the statistical population register were used to prefill the census questionnaires and were validated by respondents. The BNS is gradually transitioning towards a register-based population census and, for the next census round in 2030, is planning to use the combined method making increased use of its statistical registers.

The population and housing census conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness, and partially aligns in terms of punctuality, accessibility and interpretability. The BNS is invited to consider the following suggestions and recommendations for further improvements:

• Improve accuracy and credibility: Consider implementing a postcensal survey, particularly if the BNS plans to conduct a combined census for the next census round.

• Improve punctuality: Release a dissemination calendar with the expected release dates for key census results.

• Improve accessibility: Consider publishing census results in machine-readable formats and improving the accessibility of census results in the information-analytical system Taldau.

• Improve interpretability: Publish more supporting information on the conduct and methodology of the population census and, preferably, in English as well.

3.5.2. Context, data sources and methodology

The Law on State Statistics, which is regularly amended, is the main legal act regulating the production of official statistics by the BNS. In accordance with this Law, the BNS is responsible for conducting national censuses including the population census. In 2023, the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Approval of the Rules and Timing of National Censuses No. 1049 of 11 October 2010, regulating how and when census operations were to be conducted, was abolished and replaced by the Rules and Timing for Conducting National Population Censuses, approved by the Order of the Chairman of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 3 of 20 June 2023. The budget for the population and housing census is allocated within the republican budget, which is approved by the Republican Budget Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The BNS maintains a statistical population register, which is part of a system of integrated basic statistical registers. The statistical population register carries information on individuals (address, education, employment, etc.), families (composition) and household characteristics and is updated with administrative data from other ministries:

• Vital data: Act records on state registration of births, deaths, marriages and divorces from the Civil Registry Office Information System of the Ministry of Justice are linked with records of medical certificates on births, deaths, and perinatal deaths from the Health Register of the Ministry of Health using the act number (exact linkage) where available. Both administrative sources feed into the statistical population register and all data submission takes place online. The BNS maintains four separate databases on births, deaths, marriages and divorces that are updated with information from the statistical population register on a monthly and annual basis.

• Migration data: Data on registration at the place of permanent residence from the Information System “Documentation and registration of the population at the place of residence” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are transmitted online to the BNS and feed into the statistical population register. The BNS maintains two separate databases on arrivals and departures that are updated with information from the statistical population register on a monthly and annual basis.

• Education data: Information on education is received from the Ministry of Education and Science two times a year.

• Employment data: Employment information is received from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population on a quarterly basis.

Official population censuses have been conducted on the country’s territory in 1897, 1920, 1926, 1937, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009. The 1999 National Population Census was the first population census conducted in the Republic of Kazakhstan since it gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. A national population census scheduled for 2019 was postponed to 2020, then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted in 2021.

The 2021 National Population Census was organised, planned and managed in accordance with the Census Action Plan approved by Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on conducting the national census of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2021 No. 419 of 19 June 2019. A special commission to address organisational and instructive issues related to the preparation and conduct of the 2021 National Population Census was also established (Order of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 27-r of 9 February 2021). This commission was chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister, with the Head of the BNS acting as commission secretary. The commission was composed of senior government officials (deputy or vice ministers) from key ministries and regional representatives (deputy akims) of major cities and all regions.

The 2021 National Population Census was conducted by the traditional method based on full field enumeration. Census questionnaires consisted of four forms: 1-PP “List of Residing and/or Visiting Individuals”, 2-F “Housing conditions”, 3-I “Individual” and 4-B “Temporarily, less than 12 months, located in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan”. Data from the statistical population register were used to prefill the census questionnaires and were validated by respondents. Data were collected electronically in two (overlapping) phases, via online self-enumeration from 1 September to 15 October 2021, and by in-person interviews using tablets from 1 October to 30 October 2021.

Current estimates of the resident population at the beginning of the year are calculated on the basis of data from the most recent national population census. These data are adjusted from the date of the census to 1 January of the census year.2 Each year, births and arrivals for permanent residence within the Republic of Kazakhstan or its regions are added, while deaths and departures for permanent residence outside the Republic of Kazakhstan or its regions are deducted.

In September 2025, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan ordered the creation of the Centre for the Analysis and Forecasting of Demographic Processes under the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms by the end of 2025. The new centre will make use of big data and artificial intelligence to conduct thorough demographic analyses. The BNS plans to create a new unit within its Department of Population Statistics to work with the new centre on population projections. The first estimates are expected in 2026.

For the next population census round in 2030, the BNS is planning to move further away from the traditional method (full field enumeration) towards a combined approach by making increased use of data from the statistical population register.

3.5.3. Quality dimensions and indicators

Accuracy and credibility

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility. The BNS is encouraged to consider implementing a postcensal survey, particularly if it plans to conduct a combined census making increased use of administrative data and data from its statistical registers for the next census round.

For the 2021 National Population Census, the BNS conducted a pilot census from 1 to 30 April 2018, limited to two districts (Burabay District, Akmola Region, and Ayagoz District, Abai Region). During the pilot census, the BNS piloted electronic data collection methods (online portal, tablet) and evaluated the possibility of using statistical registers and administrative data for the preparation and implementation of the population census among other tasks.

From 1 to 30 June 2021, the BNS carried out nationwide field listing operations to verify and update addresses of residential and non-residential buildings as well as the actual number of the people residing in them.

The BNS did not carry out a postcensal survey following the completion of the 2021 National Population Census but carried out a control round between 1 and 8 November 2021 (following the end of the fieldwork) re-interviewing about 10% of respondents to verify the coverage and accuracy of the data. A total of 19 186 million individuals participated in the census while 242 000 individuals did not participate (1.3%).

For the 2009 National Population Census, optical scanning technology was used to capture data from the completed paper questionnaires. For the 2021 National Population Census, all data were collected electronically.

Coherence

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coherence.

To ensure comparability in the definition of indicators included in the census forms of the 2021 National Population Census, the BNS used methodological materials of the Interstate Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as United Nations Conference of European Statisticians Recommendations for the 2020 Censuses of Population and Housing.

The BNS integrates a variety of administrative data sources to maintain its statistical population register, which was used to prefill the census questionnaires for the 2021 National Population Census. Conversely, once the consolidated “Census of Population” database is created based on collected information about persons permanently or temporarily residing in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the time of the census, it is used as an additional source of information to update the statistical population register.

The BNS has produced comparative tables with results from (at least) the latest three population censuses (1999, 2009, 2021).

Alignment with international standards

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of alignment with international standards.

The quality management system for the 2021 National Population Census was based on the United Nations Conference of European Statisticians Recommendations for the 2020 Censuses of Population and Housing. Along with traditional indicators, the census forms included questions recommended by the United Nations Statistical Commission, Eurostat, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

For the 2021 National Population Census, the BNS used regional and international standards and classifications including NACE Revision 2 of the Eurasian Economic Commission and ISCED-2011 for the formation of education indicators.

More broadly, the latest three national population censuses (1999, 2009, 2021) conducted since the Republic of Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991 have conformed to generally accepted international standards and United Nations guidelines and recommendations for each respective census round.

Coverage and relevance

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coverage and relevance.

The 2021 National Population Census covered the following subjects:

• permanent population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including those temporarily absent (less than 12 months)

• citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan working in diplomatic and other missions, consular offices of the Republic of Kazakhstan abroad and members of their families living with them

• persons temporarily residing in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for less than 12 months and permanently residing abroad

The 2021 National Population Census excluded the following subjects:

• foreign citizens who are employees of diplomatic missions, consular offices and other representative offices of foreign states, representative offices of international organisations in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as members of their families

• persons who have left the Republic of Kazakhstan for a period of more than 12 months for work, on a business trip, or for study (except for those studying under the Bolashak program)

The national population censuses cover the entire territory of the country and census data are published up to the fourth level of the 6-level Classifier of Administrative-Territorial Objects (Level 1 - republic, Level 2 ‑ oblast, Level 3 - district/city, Level 4 - rural district, Level 5 - village, Level 6 - small settlements).

National population censuses have been conducted in the Republic of Kazakhstan on average every 10 years. The latest census initially scheduled for 2019 and re-scheduled for 2020 was cancelled and conducted in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The BNS has produced a dedicated publication of census results with focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 National Population Census reference day and time was 00:00 hours Astana time (Nur-Sultan at the time), from 31 August to 1 September 2021.

Timeliness and punctuality

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of timeliness and punctuality.

The majority of the results of the 2021 National Population Census were compiled and published according to the Census Action Plan (outlined in Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on conducting the national census of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2021 No. 419 of 19 June 2019), between the second quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2023. The following products have been released following the 2021 National Population Census:

• Brief results of the 2021 National Population Census in the Republic of Kazakhstan (2022)

• Dashboard on the brief results of the 2021 population census (2022)

• Dashboard according to the results of the 2021 population census (2023)

• Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Volume I) (2023)

• Population, disability, COVID-19 incidence and vaccination in the Republic of Kazakhstan (Volume II) (2023)

• National composition, religion and language proficiency in the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

• Education in the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

• Employment of the population in the Republic of Kazakhstan (Volume I) (2023)

• Employment of the population in the Republic of Kazakhstan (Volume II) (2023)

• Income and sources of livelihood of the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

• Households of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

• Marriage and Family (2023)

• Migration of the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

• Housing characteristics of the population in the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

• Popular Names and Surnames of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2024)

The BNS has released similar census products for the prior two censuses (1999, 2009) and, for the 2009 National Population Census, a dedicated section on census results by regions was published in 2011.

Accessibility

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accessibility. The census results are published on the BNS website in the form of analytical information (dashboard) and collections in PDF format. The BNS could consider publishing supporting data tables in machine-readable formats (e.g. CSV, XML, etc.) and improving the accessibility of census results in the information-analytical system Taldau.

For the 2021 National Population Census, the BNS has created interactive dashboards in Power BI to allow a wide range of users (scientists, analysts, teachers, students, etc.) to conduct research and analyses using various filters. The BNS has also published a series of briefings in PDF format highlighting key census results.

Results from the latest three censuses (1999, 2009, 2021) are accessible on the BNS website in both Kazakh and Russian. Only the results from the 2021 National Population Census are available in English as well.

A “Population census” entry is available in the information-analytical system Taldau maintained by the BNS. However, no data are available under this entry in any of the three languages.

Interpretability (availability of metadata)

The 2021 National Population Census conducted by the BNS partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of interpretability. The BNS could consider publishing more supporting information on the conduct and methodology of the census. Detailed methodological and other supporting material can be found for the 2009 National Population Census but not for the 1999 or 2021 censuses. Additionally, this supporting material is not available in English, and the BNS could consider providing key methodological information in English as well.

3.6. Agricultural census

3.6.1. Assessment and recommendations

The Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (BNS) is mandated by law to conduct national censuses including the agricultural census at least once every ten years. The BNS conducted its first agricultural census in 2006-2007 and its second in 2025, with results expected in 2026.

The BNS has implemented substantial improvements between the two agricultural censuses increasingly aligning with international standards. For the conduct of 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 (FAO).

For the 2025 National Agricultural Census, the BNS has implemented a pilot census and improved data collection methods (e.g. transitioned to entirely digital data collection methods), coverage of data items (enriched questionnaire content) and dissemination (e.g. created an interactive agricultural dashboard). Furthermore, since 2023, the BNS has explored experimental statistics using satellite-based yield forecasting for grain crops.

The agricultural census conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility, coherence, alignment with international standards, coverage and relevance, timeliness, and partially aligns in terms of punctuality, accessibility and interpretability. The BNS is invited to consider the following suggestions and recommendations for further improvements:

• Improve accuracy and credibility: Produce regular quality reports on key data sources and collection instruments used to compile agricultural statistics (i.e. statistical agricultural register, agricultural census, agricultural surveys).

• Improve coherence: Develop a better integrated agricultural statistics programme ensuring the coherence of concepts and definitions across the various agricultural data sources and collection instruments.

• Improve alignment with international standards: Adopt agricultural classifications based on international standards.

• Improve punctuality: Release a dissemination calendar with the expected release dates for key census results.

• Improve accessibility: Assess the feasibility of integrating agricultural census results in the information-analytical system Taldau.

• Improve interpretability: Disseminate results and methodological information related to the agricultural censuses in English.

3.6.2. Context, data sources and methodology

In accordance with the Law on State Statistics, the BNS is responsible for conducting national censuses including the agricultural census. The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on State Regulation of Development of Agricultural Complex and Rural Territories No. 66 of 8 July 2005 specifies that an agricultural census should be conducted at least once every ten years. Additional resolutions and decrees are adopted for each census round (e.g. Resolution No. 463/1999 for the 2006-2007 agricultural census; Decree No. 1248/2023 for the 2025 agricultural census). The budget for the agricultural census is allocated within the republican budget, which is approved by the Republican Budget Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The purpose of the agricultural census is to provide a detailed and objective picture of the agricultural sector. It collects complete data on agricultural producers, their potential related to the implementation of agrarian and land reforms, and the role of each category of agricultural producers in the formation of the country's food resources. It also facilitates the update of the general population of economic entities for conducting sample observations and one-time records.

The BNS has conducted its first ever agricultural census in 2006-2007 and the second one in 2025. The statistical agricultural register and the housing register, maintained by the BNS as part of an integrated register system, provide the frame for the agricultural census. The frame consists of four blocks:

• agricultural enterprises

• subjects of individual entrepreneurship, including peasant or farm enterprises engaged in the production, storage and processing of agricultural products, the provision of services in the field of agriculture

• households

• horticultural and dacha cooperatives engaged in the production of agricultural products

Four main administrative sources feed into the statistical agricultural register and provide the following information:

• information about household and peasant or farm holdings, two times a year (heads of settlements, villages and rural districts)

• information about agricultural land (arable land, pastures, hayfields, perennial plantations, fallow), once a year (Ministry of Agriculture - АISGZK МA RK)

• information about the number of farm animals (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, pigs), twice a year (Ministry of Agriculture - IS ISZH МA RК)

• information about registered agricultural machinery, two times a year (Ministry of Agriculture - EASU GRST МA RК)

The first agricultural census of 2006-2007 was conducted in two phases. The first phase took place from 10 August to 4 September 2006, surveying infrastructure and crop production indicators. The second phase took place from 14 January to 8 February 2007, surveying livestock indicators. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews using paper questionnaires. About 40 000 census personnel were involved in the census (statisticians, instructors, interviewers, and data entry operators).

The second agricultural census of 2025 was conducted from 1 August to 20 October 2025 in two phases of 30-day duration each using digital data collection methods. The first phase collected data using self-enumeration via a dedicated web portal from 1 to 31 August 2025. Following that, data were processed for 20 days to compile a list of units which did not respond during the first phase. During the second phase, from 20 September to 20 October 2025, data were collected using personal interviews and the use of digital tablets. Before field operations began, between 1 and 30 June 2025, the BNS carried out preliminary inspections in urban areas and, following the end of field operations, conducted control visits between 21 and 30 October 2025.

For the 2025 National Agricultural Census, the BNS developed and launched a specific interactive agricultural dashboard on its website accessible until 1 November 2025 for the purpose of collecting data.

In the field, interviewers carried identification including a badge with a QR code and individual number for identity verification. Over 4 000 census personnel, including instructors and interviewers, have been involved. The BNS developed an online educational platform for mandatory certificate-based interviewer training, which was also made a condition for their employment.

In the year prior to the 2025 National Agricultural Census, the BNS conducted a pilot census between 20 August and 30 September 2024. The purpose of the pilot census was to test the census forms, methodology, information systems and software, fieldwork organisation, load standards, internet coverage and administrative data. The pilot census covered two rural settlements and one city in all regions of the country. The census form questions were compiled taking into account the previous census, FAO’s 2020 World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (FAO, 2015[4]), comments and suggestions from focus group participants, recommendations from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the United States Department of Agriculture. Three different census forms were used: (1) census form 1-SPO (LPH) for preliminary survey personal of households with land plots used for subsidiary farming and/or keeping agricultural animals; (2) census form 2-SHP/KFH for agricultural enterprises, peasant or farm households, individual entrepreneurs; and (3) census form 3-LPH for households with land plots used for personal subsidiary farming and/or keeping agricultural animals.

During the self-enumeration phase of the 2025 National Agricultural Census, several challenges were observed. These included the lack of internet connection in certain areas, the inability to access census materials online, difficulties monitoring and coordinating the work of interviewers on the ground and the need to automate processes in the absence of a network. To address these challenges, the BNS developed an internal application system, Automated Workplace “Enumeration Area Delineation”, providing an offline management of the census process that ensured administration of census personnel, monitoring and generation of standards documents. The main business processes supported by the system included: (i) administration (registration of interviewers, instructors, distribution of roles and access rights); (ii) formation of instructor section; (iii) formation of a registration site; (iv) formation of a counting area; (v) downloading interviewer tasks; (vi) data upload by interviewers; (vii) formation of a contact; (viii) formation of the certification of completion of work; and (ix) monitoring and data analysis.

For the 2025 National Agricultural Census, as part of the cooperation with FAO, working meetings were held with the participation of international experts. Methodological support was provided on the organisation and conduct of the agricultural census. Technical assistance was provided on issues of digitalisation of the data collection process and information quality control. Statistical offices from other countries (Georgia, Latvia, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) have also shared their experiences in organising fieldwork, methodological materials and recommendations for data processing.

For the 2025 National Agricultural Census, the BNS launched a large-scale communication campaign across television, news media, social networks, briefings, agricultural festivals and external advertising. The campaign also included direct communication with respondents through text-message mailing lists, 24/7 customer support, around 2 700 self-service zones in akimats and district states, and engagement with industry associations. Employees of the territorial divisions of the BNS and akimats were also in contact with agricultural producers (calls, meetings, chats).

Between agricultural censuses, agricultural statistics in Kazakhstan are based primarily on national statistical observations and administrative and departmental data from government agencies. The BNS conducts 16 national statistical observations in the agricultural domain of various periodicity and utilises administrative data from the Ministry of Agriculture (e.g. farm animal identification database), and akims of a settlement, village or rural district (twice a year, farm accounting data on the structure of sown areas by crop type and livestock and poultry numbers by type in peasant farms, individual entrepreneurs and private household plots). Since 2023, the BNS has also utilised space monitoring data from Joint Stock Company “National Company” “Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary” (e.g. cultivation areas, areas of steam fields, forecast yield data, etc.) and explored experimental statistics using satellite-based yield forecasting for grain crops.

3.6.3. Quality dimensions and indicators

Accuracy and credibility

The 2025 National Agricultural Census conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accuracy and credibility. Since the first agricultural census in 2006‑2007, the BNS has implemented significant improvements, including a pilot census and transitioning to digital data collection methods. The BNS is encouraged to produce regular quality reports on the agricultural data sources and collection instruments it uses.

During the 2006-2007 agricultural census, the number of census objects was compared with previously compiled lists, leading to the identification of agricultural producers not previously included in the agricultural register and administrative sources. The number of census objects exceeded for peasant farms by 4%, for private household plots by 7.4%, and for summer cottages by 5.7%. Additionally, 23.3% of summer cottages were abandoned and inactive (more than 130 500).

Unlike the 2006-2007 agricultural census, a pilot census was conducted in 2024 ahead of the 2025 agricultural census. The 2025 census also used administrative data and modern data collection technologies. Paper questionnaires were replaced by electronic questionnaires available through a dedicated online platform (BNS, 2025[5]), with some information prefilled from administrative sources. These changes improved the accuracy and efficiency of data capture and processing and reduced the risks associated with manual data entry.

To address limited internet access and digital literacy in some rural areas, the BNS developed an offline census process management system that enabled data collection while maintaining data quality and completeness.

Following the two phases of data collection, responses were obtained from 289 497 agricultural holdings, corresponding to 97.3% of the expected total, and 1 499 546 households, corresponding to 97% of the expected total. Household non-response amounted to 3%, including refusals (0.1%), no contact (0.3%), and unoccupied dwellings (0.5%). According to the BNS, over-coverage was mainly attributable to quality issues in the statistical agricultural register.

The BNS produces quality reports on various agricultural statistics it compiles but not on the data sources and instruments used to collect agricultural data (i.e. statistical agricultural register, agricultural census, agricultural surveys).

Coherence

The 2025 National Agricultural Census largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coherence. The BNS is encouraged to develop a better integrated agricultural statistics programme ensuring the coherence of concepts and definitions across the various agricultural data sources and collection instruments.

The statistical units for the agricultural census are the legal entities (agricultural enterprises) operating in agriculture (crop growing, livestock farming, fish farming) with main and non-main activity; subjects of individual entrepreneurship, including peasant or farm households; and households that have land plots for running a personal subsidiary farm, and/or have farm animals.

The 2025 National Agricultural Census questionnaire included substantially more content than the 2006‑2007 National Agricultural Census questionnaire. The BNS has indicated that the results for the common questionnaire content would be comparable between the two censuses.

While the system of integrated registers, of which the agricultural register is part, ensures coherence across domains, the various sources (survey, administrative, registers, satellite data) used to compile agricultural statistics are not fully integrated. The BNS could further centralise and harmonise its agricultural statistics compilation programme.

Alignment with international standards

The 2025 National Agricultural Census conducted by the BNS largely aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of alignment with international standards. The BNS has further aligned the 2025 National Agricultural Census to international best practices since it conducted its first agricultural census in 2006-2007. For both censuses, the BNS has received methodological and technical guidance from national and international experts including experts from the FAO.

The 2006-2007 National Agricultural Census followed the FAO guidelines for the 2010 census round. However, the following deviations have been noted:

• The agricultural census was conducted using complete enumeration, as in the classical approach. However, census operations were conducted over two distinct periods (in 2006 and in 2007) instead of in a single operation as recommended by the guidelines.

• The BNS did not use Indicative Crop Classification recommended to be used by countries, including for identification of crop types, i.e. temporary or permanent crops.

To code agricultural activities, the BNS uses the NACE Revision 2 (derived from the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities).

Coverage and relevance

The 2025 National Agricultural Census aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of coverage and relevance.

The agricultural census covers land and crop area; livestock and poultry population; agricultural machinery and equipment; livestock complexes and poultry farms; industrial buildings and premises for keeping farm animals and poultry; buildings and structures for storing agricultural products; repair shops and garages; and mini shops for processing agricultural products.

The 2006-2007 National Agricultural Census covered 2 500 rural and village districts, 7 500 populated areas, over 9 000 legal entities, 194 000 peasant (farming) households, about 2.2 million households and 560 000 summer cottages. The list of agricultural enterprises and their separate subdivisions (legal entities) was established on the basis of the statistical agricultural register and supplemented with information from the statistical business register and other administrative registers and sources.

The BNS has significantly enriched the content of the 2025 National Agricultural Census questionnaire compared to the 2006-2007 National Agricultural Census covering more of the mandatory data items as recommended by the FAO. The BNS has added mandatory content to the 2025 National Agricultural Census questionnaire covering land resources and their use (e.g. irrigated lands, sown areas, application of fertilisers and plant protection products), animal husbandry (e.g. animal housing systems), technical means and production facilities, and labour resources. Labour-resource items include information about the owner, such as gender, education, age and experience, as well as the number of employees and days worked.

Both agricultural censuses (2006-2007, 2025) cover the entire territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including rural areas.

Timeliness and punctuality

The 2025 National Agricultural Census aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of timeliness and partially aligns in terms of punctuality. The BNS is encouraged to release a dissemination calendar with the expected release dates for key census results.

For the 2006-2007 National Agricultural Census, preliminary results were published in six volumes in 2007. The publication of the final results of the census was completed in nine volumes in the first half of 2008. Similarly, for the 2025 National Agricultural Census, preliminary results were released in 2025, and final results are expected to be published in 2026. The BNS does not provide a dedicated dissemination calendar for the agricultural census release products.

Accessibility

The 2025 National Agricultural Census partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of accessibility. The BNS is encouraged to provide information related to the agricultural censuses in English in addition to Kazakh and Russian. The BNS could also explore the feasibility of integrating agricultural census results in the information-analytical system Taldau.

The BNS has disseminated detailed publications on the 2006-2007 National Agricultural Census in PDF format. It also disseminates agricultural statistics more regularly through press releases, with references to the data in Excel format for current period data and in Excel, JSON, and CSV formats for dynamic tables and historical data. The press releases can also be downloaded in PDF format. Agricultural statistics are also available in the information-analytical system Taldau, a centralised platform for all key sector statistics produced by the BNS but agricultural census results are not integrated in this system.

All information related to the agricultural censuses is available in Kazakh or Russian on the BNS website and the BNS has indicated that it plans to make information available in English as well.

Interpretability (availability of metadata)

The 2025 National Agricultural Census partially aligns with best policies and practices in OECD Member countries in terms of interpretability. The BNS is encouraged to provide methodological information related to the agricultural censuses in English.

For the 2006-2007 National Agricultural Census, for the available information in Kazakh and Russian, information is provided in clearly structured sections including a high-level overview of the census, methodological notes and forms, normative-legal acts, and publications with the compiled results. The methodological section in these publications is very comprehensive covering instructions, census forms, manuals, glossaries and guides among other material.

For the 2025 National Agricultural Census, a dedicated website has been created providing several functionalities including instructions and videos on filling out the census forms, answers to frequently asked questions, contact information and support, functionality to search interviewers by QR code or identification number, latest news on the census, as well as an Artificial Intelligence assistant (SANAQ MYRZA) trained on 850 questions and answers on the agricultural census.

Detailed methodological information on the maintenance and update of the statistical agricultural register is available in all three languages. Detailed methodological documents covering agricultural statistics are also provided in all three languages, including the following: (i) Methodology for calculating the gross output of products (services) in agriculture, forestry and fisheries; (ii) Methodology for compiling balances of resources and use of basic agricultural products; (iii) Methodology for organising and conducting a survey of grain crop yields; (iv) Methodology for conducting sample surveys in crop and livestock production; (v) Methodology for conducting telephone surveys in agriculture, (vi) Methodology for the formation of statistical indicators animal husbandry; (vii) Methodology on editing data in production statistics and environment.

References

[5] BNS (2025), Official website of the agricultural census, https://sanaq.gov.kz/sanaqui/#/home.

[2] BNS (n.d.), The Schedule for the dissemination of official statistical information for 2025-2027, https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/stat/documents/details/888373?lang=en.

[4] FAO (2015), World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2020: Volume 1. Programme, Concepts and Definitions, http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4913e.pdf.

[1] UN (2024), Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/business-stat/SBR/Documents/UN_Guidelines_on_SBR.pdf.

[3] UNECE (2017), Guide on Poverty Measurement, https://unece.org/DAM/stats/publications/2018/ECECESSTAT20174.pdf.

Notes

← 1.  In the Republic of Kazakhstan, male citizens aged 18 to 27 who are not eligible for deferment or exemption must be drafted for compulsory military service. The typical duration of compulsory service is 12 months, and conscription occurs twice a year.

← 2.  As the 2021 National Population Census was conducted in September-October 2021, the adjustment was carried out instead to 1 January 2022.