By dimension | Legal entities | Subjects of individual entrepreneurship | Branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities | Subjects of small and medium business | |||||
registered | operating | registered | operating | registered | operating | registered | operating | ||
Total | 536 241 | 426 096 | 1 794 381 | 1 705 517 | 31 368 | 22 447 | 2 262 392 | 2 071 657 | |
Small | 526 826 | 416 815 | - | - | 30 248 | 21 339 | 2 259 185 | 2 068 522 | |
Medium | 6 919 | 6 818 | - | - | 631 | 623 | 3 207 | 3 135 | |
Large | 2 496 | 2 463 | - | - | 489 | 485 | - | - |
Annually, there is an increase in the number of registered legal entities by an average of 4.5%, so over the past ten years (2015-2024) their number has increased from 360287 to 536241 (by 175954 units or 48.8%). At the same time, it should be noted that the main growth occurs due to small legal entities, their number is steadily increasing every year by an average of 4.6%. Unlike small ones, the dynamics of medium and large legal entities is not stable. Over the past decade, against the background of the annual growth in the number of medium and large legal entities, in 2016, 2017 and 2019 their number was not significant, but decreased (by 1.3%, 1.4% and 3.1%, respectively).
By dimension | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Total | 360 287 | 383 850 | 412 677 | 433 774 | 446 687 | 461 983 | 481 732 | 507 238 | 526 290 | 536 241 |
Small | 351 229 | 374 912 | 403 862 | 424 796 | 437 988 | 453 343 | 472 777 | 497 995 | 517 123 | 526 826 |
Medium | 6 572 | 6 502 | 6 432 | 6 490 | 6 297 | 6 235 | 6 494 | 6 685 | 6 689 | 6 919 |
Large | 2 486 | 2 436 | 2 383 | 2 488 | 2 402 | 2 405 | 2 461 | 2 558 | 2 478 | 2 496 |
In December, compared to November 2024, there is a slight decrease in the number of registered legal entities (by 0.3%), compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 1.9%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of operating legal entities - by 0.5%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 1.2%. Since the beginning of the year, by type of economic activity, the largest number of registered legal entities remains in the industry «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair», the share of which as of January 1, 2025. amounted to 27.3%. On the second place - "Construction" (13.3%), on the third - "Provision of other types of services" (10%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 50.6% of all registered legal entities.
As of January 1, 2025, the largest number of registered legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (151787 or 28.3%), Astana (103572 or 19.3%), and Shymkent (29457 or 5.5%). The smallest number of registered legal entities falls on the regions of Ulytau (2910 or 0.5%), Zhetisu (8322 or 1.6%) and Abay (8468 or 1.6%).
By type of activity |
Total | Of them | ||||
operating | including | in the process of liquidation | ||||
newly registered | active | temporarily inactive | ||||
Total | 536 241 | 426 096 | 50 066 | 221 784 | 154 246 | 4 344 |
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 21 104 | 18 133 | 1 570 | 9 210 | 7 353 | 110 |
Mining and Quarrying | 5 675 | 4 780 | 595 | 1 732 | 2 453 | 44 |
Manufacturing industry | 27 313 | 21 729 | 2 021 | 11 407 | 8 301 | 264 |
Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning | 1 917 | 1 626 | 157 | 762 | 707 | 10 |
Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities | 2 715 | 2 164 | 143 | 1 199 | 822 | 34 |
Construction | 71 139 | 53 653 | 4 978 | 20 995 | 27 680 | 1 111 |
Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair | 146 255 | 106 727 | 14 544 | 53 472 | 38 711 | 1 477 |
Transport and warehousing | 22 475 | 17 905 | 1 932 | 9 067 | 6 906 | 198 |
Providing of accommodation and food services | 10 719 | 8 516 | 1 174 | 4 652 | 2 690 | 41 |
Information and communication | 18 644 | 15 529 | 2 439 | 7 894 | 5 196 | 59 |
Financial and insurance activities | 7 792 | 5 618 | 678 | 2 800 | 2 140 | 119 |
Real estate transactions | 26 686 | 22 972 | 2 353 | 14 637 | 5 982 | 155 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities | 34 777 | 28 105 | 2 654 | 15 649 | 9 802 | 205 |
Administrative and support services activities | 25 243 | 21 215 | 1 977 | 12 321 | 6 917 | 128 |
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 9 686 | 9 436 | 193 | 9 088 | 155 | 28 |
Education | 30 743 | 28 531 | 1 813 | 21 693 | 5 025 | 122 |
Healthcare and social services | 11 708 | 10 623 | 1 038 | 6 949 | 2 636 | 37 |
Arts, entertainment and recreation | 7 928 | 6 585 | 804 | 3 650 | 2 131 | 35 |
Provision of other types of services | 53 721 | 42 248 | 9 003 | 14 606 | 18 639 | 167 |
Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
By dimension | Total | Including by forms and types of ownership | ||||
state | private total | of them | foreign | |||
with the participation of the state (without foreign participation) | joint ventures (with foreign participation) | |||||
Total | 536 241 | 25 903 | 456 013 | 466 | 11 031 | 54 325 |
Small | 526 826 | 21 051 | 451 947 | 400 | 10 735 | 53 828 |
Medium | 6 919 | 3 655 | 2 965 | 32 | 188 | 299 |
Large | 2 496 | 1 197 | 1 101 | 34 | 108 | 198 |
In December, compared to November 2024, there is a slight decrease in the number of registered individual entrepreneurs (by 0.3%), compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increase by 4.4%. At the same time, there is an decrease in the number of operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship - by 0.1%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 4.1%. Since the beginning of the year, by type of economic activity, the largest number of registered individual entrepreneurs remains in the industry «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair», the share of which as of January 1, 2025 was 37.4 %. In second place is «Provision of other types of services» (16.3%), in third place is «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» (14.8%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 68.5% of all registered subjects of individual entrepreneurship.
By type of activity | Total | Including those operating: | ||||
registered | operating | in the form of personal business | in the form of a joint venture | |||
registered | operating | registered | operating | |||
Total | 1 794 381 | 1 705 517 | 1 721 786 | 1 635 393 | 72 595 | 70 124 |
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 265 556 | 252 755 | 193 052 | 182 699 | 72 504 | 70 056 |
Mining and Quarrying | 803 | 739 | 803 | 739 | - | - |
Manufacturing industry | 94 105 | 89 708 | 94 096 | 89 700 | 9 | 8 |
Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning | 625 | 585 | 625 | 585 | - | - |
Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities | 2 086 | 2 005 | 2 085 | 2 004 | 1 | 1 |
Construction | 57 730 | 54 107 | 57 728 | 54 105 | 2 | 2 |
Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair | 670 749 | 638 484 | 670 734 | 638 471 | 15 | 13 |
Transport and warehousing | 116 261 | 111 488 | 116 252 | 111 482 | 9 | 6 |
Providing of accommodation and food services | 46 047 | 43 242 | 46 043 | 43 238 | 4 | 4 |
Information and communication | 18 575 | 17 539 | 18 575 | 17 539 | - | - |
Financial and insurance activities | 525 | 457 | 525 | 457 | - | - |
Real estate transactions | 97 408 | 93 849 | 97 390 | 93 836 | 18 | 13 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities | 31 503 | 29 736 | 31 502 | 29 735 | 1 | 1 |
Administrative and support services activities | 41 391 | 39 451 | 41 380 | 39 440 | 11 | 11 |
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 117 | 112 | 117 | 112 | - | - |
Education | 31 891 | 30 540 | 31 890 | 30 539 | 1 | 1 |
Healthcare and social services | 10 891 | 10 402 | 10 891 | 10 402 | - | - |
Arts, entertainment and recreation | 15 427 | 14 536 | 15 426 | 14 535 | 1 | 1 |
Provision of other types of services | 292 691 | 275 782 | 292 672 | 275 775 | 19 | 7 |
As of January 1, 2025, the number of registered branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities amounted to 31368 units, including 22447 active ones. The largest number of registered branches and affiliates of foreign legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (3846 or 12.3%) and Astana (3649 or 11.6%), and in the Karaganda region (2141 or 6.8%). By types of economic activity, the largest number of registered branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities belong to the sectors «Provision of other types of services» (12864 or 41%), «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair» (4260 or 13.6%) and «Professional, scientific and technical activities» (2195 or 7%).
By dimension | Total | Including by forms and types of ownership | ||||
state | private total | of them | foreign | |||
with the participation of the state (without foreign participation) | joint ventures (with foreign participation) | |||||
Total | 27 357 | 2 585 | 23 571 | 174 | 677 | 1 201 |
Small | 26 278 | 2 332 | 22 788 | 151 | 645 | 1 158 |
Medium | 608 | 128 | 449 | 12 | 13 | 31 |
Large | 471 | 125 | 334 | 11 | 19 | 12 |
By dimension | Total | Of them | ||||
operating | including | in the process of liquidation | ||||
newly registered | active | temporarily inactive | ||||
Total | 4 011 | 2 323 | 340 | 868 | 1 115 | 81 |
Small | 3 970 | 2 284 | 339 | 830 | 1 115 | 80 |
Medium | 23 | 21 | 1 | 20 | - | 1 |
Large | 18 | 18 | - | 18 | - | - |
As of January 1, 2025, the number of registered legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with a foreign form of ownership increased by 6.6% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. The number of registered legal entities and branches with joint ownership decreased by 1.8%.
In terms of types of economic activity, the largest share of registered legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with foreign and joint ownership falls on the sectors «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair» – 36%, «Provision of other types of services» – 13.5%, «Construction» – 9.1%.
Be country | Legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities | |||
with foreign ownership | with joint ownership | |||
registered | operating | registered | operating | |
Republic of Kazakhstan | 59 537 | 44 995 | 11 708 | 8 723 |
Russia | 23 289 | 18 861 | 4 934 | 3 849 |
Uzbekistan | 5 731 | 4 407 | 624 | 464 |
China | 5 280 | 3 676 | 947 | 725 |
Türkiye | 5 260 | 3 538 | 755 | 480 |
Kyrgyzstan | 3 162 | 2 202 | 390 | 304 |
Azerbaijan | 1 518 | 1 162 | 210 | 151 |
Ukraine | 1 325 | 985 | 391 | 301 |
Germany | 942 | 739 | 505 | 368 |
Belarus | 916 | 773 | 187 | 145 |
Republic of Korea | 888 | 603 | 162 | 107 |
* Top 10 countries by the largest number of registered legal entities, branches and branches of foreign legal entities
As of January 1, 2025, the number of operating SMEs increased by 3.5% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. In the total number of SMEs, the share of individual entrepreneurs was 67.3%, legal entities of small business – 20.5%, peasant or farm enterprises – 12%, legal entities of medium business – 0.1%.
In terms of types of economic activity, the largest share of registered small and medium-sized businesses falls on the sectors «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair» – 35.6%; «Provision of other types of services» – 14,2%. «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» – 13,6%.
By region | Registered | Operating |
Republic of Kazakhstan | 2 262 392 | 2 071 657 |
Abay | 58 511 | 54 157 |
Akmola | 64 177 | 59 196 |
Aktobe | 92 420 | 85 725 |
Almaty | 151 138 | 142 846 |
Atyrau | 68 324 | 63 180 |
Batys Kazakhstan | 62 417 | 58 073 |
Zhambyl | 117 439 | 103 880 |
Zhetysu | 64 376 | 60 419 |
Karagandy | 110 920 | 101 596 |
Kostanay | 69 884 | 65 909 |
Kyzylorda | 68 336 | 65 258 |
Mangystau | 83 307 | 76 571 |
Pavlodar | 62 450 | 56 412 |
Soltustik Kazakhstan | 38 577 | 35 437 |
Turkistan | 216 185 | 208 732 |
Ulytau | 19 422 | 18 327 |
Shygys Kazakhstan | 69 738 | 62 757 |
Astana city | 279 854 | 248 284 |
Almaty city | 417 039 | 367 784 |
Shymkent city | 147 878 | 137 114 |
Individual entrepreneurship - an independent, initiative activity of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, kandas, aimed at obtaining net income, based on the property of individuals themselves and carried out on behalf of individuals, at their risk and under their property responsibility. Individual entrepreneurship is carried out in the form of personal or joint entrepreneurship.
Personal entrepreneurship - carried out by one individual independently on the basis of property belonging to him by the right of ownership, as well as by virtue of another right that allows the use and (or) disposal of property.
Joint entrepreneurship - carried out by a group of individuals (individual entrepreneurs) on the basis of property belonging to them on the basis of common ownership, as well as by virtue of another right that allows joint use and (or) disposal of property.
Categories of business entities - depending on the average annual number of employees and average annual income, business entities are classified into the following categories: "subjects of small" business, including micro-entrepreneurship entities; subjects of medium business; subjects of large business. For the purposes of state statistics, only the criterion of the average annual number of employees is used.
Principal type of activity - a type of activity, the added value of which exceeds the added value of any other type of activity carried out by an economic entity;
Secondary type of activity - a type of activity, in addition to the main one, which is carried out with the aim of producing products (goods and services) for third parties.
All presented indicators are based on the Statistical Business Register, which contains information on legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities, as well as individual entrepreneurs that have been registered or re-registered with the registration authorities.
The proposed tables show the number of registered and operating legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, as well as small and medium-sized businesses by size, by form of ownership, by region and type of activity.
The types of activities are presented in accordance with the current General Classifier of Types of Economic Activities (GCTEA). Entities carrying out several types of activities are accounted for by the main type that provides the greatest increase in value added.
Operating entities in the Statistical Business Register include:
In accordance with the "Classifier of the dimension of legal entities, branches and representative offices, as well as individual entrepreneurship entities by the number of employees", 3 classes of entities are provided for in dimension, depending on the average annual number of employees:
Legal entities with branches are taken into account taking into account the headcount of all its branches.