Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Bureau of National statistics
    Key indicators
    541 453
    As of May 1, 2025, the number of registered legal entities amounted to 541453 units, including 423630 operating legal entities.
    1 830 460
    The number of registered subjects of individual entrepreneurship amounted to 1830460, including 1741921 operating entities.
    2 303 260
    The number of registered small and medium-sized businesses amounted to 2303260 units, including 2105823 operating ones.
    Registered and operating entities by dimension and activity
    as of May 1, 2025
    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 541 453 423 630 1 830 460 1 741 921 30 454 21 897 2 303 260 2 105 823
    Small 532 162 414 477 - - 29 333 20 787 2 300 193 2 102 833
    Medium 6 834 6 730 - - 639 632 3 067 2 990
    Large 2 457 2 423 - - 482 478 - -
    Dynamics of subjects

    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).

    Dynamics of subjects
    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
    Registered and operating legal entities

    In April, compared to March 2025, there is a slight increase in the number of registered legal entities (by 0.4%), compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 2.2%. At the same time, there is an decrease in the number of operating legal entities - by 0.2%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number decreased by 0.2%. 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 May 1, 2025. amounted to 27.1%. 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 50.5% of all registered legal entities.

    As of May 1, 2025, the largest number of registered legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (153617 or 28.4%), Astana (105425 or 19.5%), and Shymkent (29234 or 5.4%). The smallest number of registered legal entities falls on the regions of Ulytau (2938 or 0.5%), Zhetisu (8457 or 1.6%) and Abay (8492 or 1.6%).

    Registered legal entities by type of activity and activity
    as of May 1, 2025
    By type of activity Total Of them
    operating including in the process of liquidation
    newly registered active temporarily inactive
    Total 541 453 423 630 46 057 191 573 186 000 4 074
    Agriculture, forestry and fisheries 21 224 18 391 1 373 5 117 11 901 106
    Mining and Quarrying 5 802 4 895 571 1 214 3 110 39
    Manufacturing industry 27 642 22 023 1 672 9 973 10 378 248
    Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning 1 917 1 615 121 568 926 12
    Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities 2 734 2 182 139 924 1 119 38
    Construction 72 169 54 006 4 813 16 489 32 704 1 008
    Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair 146 716 103 766 13 229 44 848 45 689 1 368
    Transport and warehousing 22 646 17 954 1 782 8 007 8 165 182
    Providing of accommodation and food services 10 962 8 628 1 210 3 854 3 564 39
    Information and communication 18 924 15 417 2 055 7 084 6 278 57
    Financial and insurance activities 7 908 5 637 632 2 372 2 633 118
    Real estate transactions 26 908 22 929 2 119 13 618 7 192 150
    Professional, scientific and technical activities 35 165 28 039 2 392 13 528 12 119 188
    Administrative and support services activities 25 448 21 025 1 757 10 624 8 644 124
    Public administration and defense; compulsory social security 9 701 9 444 207 9 007 230 29
    Education 31 145 28 739 1 666 21 025 6 048 134
    Healthcare and social services 12 078 10 940 1 076 6 844 3 020 35
    Arts, entertainment and recreation 7 961 6 500 745 3 007 2 748 35
    Provision of other types of services 54 402 41 499 8 498 13 469 19 532 164
    Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies 1 1 - 1 - -
    Registered legal entities by size and form of ownership
    as of May 1, 2025
    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 541 453 25 979 459 924 491 11 054 55 550
    Small 532 162 21 063 456 020 429 10 767 55 079
    Medium 6 834 3 713 2 834 28 176 287
    Large 2 457 1 203 1 070 34 111 184
    Registered and operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship (IE and JV)

    In April, compared to March 2025, there is a slight increase in the number of registered individual entrepreneurs (by 0.6%), compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increase by 6.2%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship - by 0.4%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 5.6%. 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 May 1, 2025 was 37.1%. In second place is «Provision of other types of services» (16%), in third place is «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» (14.2%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 67.2% of all registered subjects of individual entrepreneurship.

    Registered and operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship by type of activity
    as of May 1, 2025
    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 1 830 460 1 741 921 1 757 709 1 670 655 72 751 71 266
    Agriculture, forestry and fisheries 259 290 248 645 186 630 177 444 72 660 71 201
    Mining and Quarrying 811 729 811 729 - -
    Manufacturing industry 92 689 87 979 92 680 87 971 9 8
    Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning 629 587 629 587 - -
    Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities 2 135 2 051 2 134 2 050 1 1
    Construction 60 007 56 400 60 005 56 399 2 1
    Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair 678 870 645 334 678 856 645 323 14 11
    Transport and warehousing 140 981 136 604 140 972 136 597 9 7
    Providing of accommodation and food services 47 916 45 255 47 911 45 250 5 5
    Information and communication 19 052 18 044 19 052 18 044 - -
    Financial and insurance activities 609 545 609 545 - -
    Real estate transactions 99 495 95 909 99 476 95 897 19 12
    Professional, scientific and technical activities 32 007 30 317 32 007 30 317 - -
    Administrative and support services activities 43 244 41 270 43 233 41 259 11 11
    Public administration and defense; compulsory social security 121 113 121 113 - -
    Education 33 496 32 097 33 495 32 096 1 1
    Healthcare and social services 11 038 10 556 11 038 10 556 - -
    Arts, entertainment and recreation 15 926 14 987 15 925 14 986 1 1
    Provision of other types of services 292 144 274 499 292 125 274 492 19 7
    Registered and operating branches and branches of foreign legal entities

    As of May 1, 2025, the number of registered branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities amounted to 30454 units, including 21897 active ones. The largest number of registered branches and affiliates of foreign legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (3865 or 12.7%) and Astana (3530 or 11.6%), and in the Karaganda region (1919 or 6.3%). 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» (12635 or 41.5%), «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair» (4030 or 13.2%) and «Professional, scientific and technical activities» (2160 or 7.1%).

    Registered and operating branches by size and form of ownership
    as of May 1, 2025
    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 26 423 2 583 22 702 146 646 1 138
    Small 25 342 2 317 21 933 124 616 1 092
    Medium 617 138 446 12 12 33
    Large 464 128 323 10 18 13
    Registered branches of foreign legal entities by size and activity
    as of May 1, 2025
    By dimension Total Of them
    operating including in the process of liquidation
    newly registered active temporarily inactive
    Total 4 031 2 110 289 911 910 81
    Small 3 991 2 072 288 880 904 80
    Medium 22 20 1 16 3 1
    Large 18 18 - 15 3 -
    Registered and operating legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with foreign and joint ownership

    As of May 1, 2025, the number of registered legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with a foreign form of ownership increased by 5.3% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. The number of registered legal entities and branches with joint ownership decreased by 1.2%.

    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» – 35.8%, «Provision of other types of services» – 14.1%, «Construction» – 9.1%.

    Registered and operating legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with foreign and joint ownership by country *
    as of May 1, 2025
    Be country Legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities
    with foreign ownership with joint ownership
    registered operating registered operating
    Republic of Kazakhstan 60 719 44 351 11 700 8 611
    Russia 23 218 17 988 4 868 3 747
    Uzbekistan 6 337 4 934 616 446
    China 5 853 4 141 1 024 785
    Türkiye 5 209 3 384 748 470
    Kyrgyzstan 3 125 2 041 390 301
    Azerbaijan 1 579 1 194 216 152
    Ukraine 1 316 941 380 285
    Germany 950 729 487 346
    Belarus 911 738 192 150
    Republic of Korea 874 560 165 112

    * Top 10 countries by the largest number of registered legal entities, branches and branches of foreign legal entities

    Registered and operating small and medium-sized businesses

    As of May 1, 2025, the number of operating SMEs increased by 4.5% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. In the total number of SMEs, the share of individual entrepreneurs was 67.9%, legal entities of small business – 20.4%, peasant or farm enterprises – 11.5%, 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» – 35.4%; «Provision of other types of services» – 13.9%. «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» – 13,1%.

    Registered and operating small and medium-sized businesses
    as of May 1, 2025
    By region Registered Operating
    Republic of Kazakhstan 2 303 260 2 105 823
    Abay 58 843 54 651
    Akmola 65 028 60 031
    Aktobe 92 232 86 089
    Almaty 156 581 148 113
    Atyrau 68 488 63 406
    Batys Kazakhstan 63 074 59 167
    Zhambyl 117 758 106 426
    Zhetysu 64 707 60 705
    Karagandy 111 514 98 933
    Kostanay 70 895 66 979
    Kyzylorda 67 287 64 482
    Mangystau 83 592 77 378
    Pavlodar 63 255 57 299
    Soltustik Kazakhstan 38 763 35 652
    Turkistan 217 037 211 573
    Ulytau 19 402 18 126
    Shygys Kazakhstan 69 364 63 312
    Astana city 292 431 255 908
    Almaty city 433 031 378 872
    Shymkent city 149 978 138 721
    Glossary

    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.

    Methodological explanations

    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:

    • entities currently engaged in economic activity, ie. active;
    • newly registered and not yet engaged in economic activity;
    • entities that temporarily suspended their activities.

    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:

    • small (up to 100 people);
    • medium (from 101 to 250 people);
    • large (over 250 people).

    Legal entities with branches are taken into account taking into account the headcount of all its branches.


    Release responsible:
    Department of Statistical Registers and Classifications
    Department Director:
    E. Bekberdiev
    Теl. +7 7172 74-90-58
    Executor:
    D. Toleugali
    Теl. +7 7172 74-97-95
    E-mail: d.toleugali @aspire.gov.kz
    Address:
    010000, Astana
    Mangilik el avenue, 8
    House of Ministries, entrance 4