Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Bureau of National statistics
    Key indicators
    549 799
    As of September 1, 2025, the number of registered legal entities amounted to 549799 units, including 428987 operating legal entities.
    1 898 093
    The number of registered subjects of individual entrepreneurship amounted to 1898093, including 1805526 operating entities.
    2 378 414
    The number of registered small and medium-sized businesses amounted to 2378414 units, including 2174309 operating ones.
    Registered and operating entities by dimension and activity
    as of September 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   549 799   428 987 1 898 093 1 805 526   30 462   22 022 2 378 414 2 174 309
    Small   540 490   419 814 - -   29 324   20 895 2 375 369 2 171 338
    Medium   6 830   6 727 - -    648    641 3 045 2 971
    Large   2 479   2 446 - -    490    486 - -
    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 August, compared to July 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 2,3%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of operating legal entities - by 0,4%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 2,1%. 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 September 1, 2025. amounted to 26,9%. On the second place – «Construction» (13,4%), on the third – «Provision of other types of services» (10,1%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 50,5% of all registered legal entities.

    As of September 1, 2025, the largest number of registered legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (156289 or 28,4%), Astana (107697 or 19,6%), and Shymkent (29776 or 5,4%). The smallest number of registered legal entities falls on the regions of Ulytau (2971 or 0,5%), Zhetisu (8564 or 1,6%) and Abay (8584 or 1,6%).

    Registered legal entities by type of activity and activity
    as of September 1, 2025
    By type of activity Total Of them
    operating including in the process of liquidation
    newly registered active temporarily inactive
    Total 549 799 428 987 47 135 194 621 187 231 3 919
    Agriculture, forestry and fisheries 21 353 18 547 1 509 5 730 11 308 113
    Mining and Quarrying 6 049 5 155 625 1 337 3 193 40
    Manufacturing industry 28 119 22 398 1 589 10 301 10 508 234
    Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning 1 935 1 634 121 567 946 13
    Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities 2 783 2 222 150 957 1 115 38
    Construction 73 849 55 790 5 342 16 354 34 094 954
    Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair 148 149 104 455 13 237 45 528 45 690 1 316
    Transport and warehousing 23 084 18 184 1 750 8 436 7 998 170
    Providing of accommodation and food services 11 220 8 752 1 246 3 986 3 520 36
    Information and communication 19 333 15 638 2 017 7 147 6 474 53
    Financial and insurance activities 8 061 5 800 772 2 431 2 597 115
    Real estate transactions 27 221 23 016 2 106 13 555 7 355 142
    Professional, scientific and technical activities 35 665 28 317 2 506 13 826 11 985 185
    Administrative and support services activities 25 696 20 993 1 776 10 781 8 436 123
    Public administration and defense; compulsory social security 9 728 9 474 239 8 953 282 30
    Education 31 558 29 124 1 693 21 518 5 913 130
    Healthcare and social services 12 401 11 267 1 164 7 137 2 966 35
    Arts, entertainment and recreation 8 058 6 521 727 3 063 2 731 34
    Provision of other types of services 55 536 41 699 8 566 13 013 20 120 158
    Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies 1 1 - 1 - -
    Registered legal entities by size and form of ownership
    as of September 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   549 799   26 051   466 402    507   11 232   57 346
    Small   540 490   21 106   462 516    443   10 941   56 868
    Medium   6 830   3 733   2 807    30    175    290
    Large   2 479   1 212   1 079    34    116    188
    Registered and operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship (IE and JV)

    In August, compared to July 2025, there is a slight increase in the number of registered individual entrepreneurs (by 1,3%), compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increase by 6,9%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship - by 1,3%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 7,3%. 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 September 1, 2025 was 36,6%. In second place is «Provision of other types of services» (15,6%), in third place is «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» (13,5%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 65,7% of all registered subjects of individual entrepreneurship.

    Registered and operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship by type of activity
    as of September 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  1 898 093  1 805 526  1 825 388  1 733 792   72 705   71 734
    Agriculture, forestry and fisheries   255 784   247 316   183 216   175 647   72 568   71 669
    Mining and Quarrying    833    741    833    741 - -
    Manufacturing industry   94 020   88 948   94 012   88 941    8    7
    Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning    640    597    640    597 - -
    Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities 2 228   2 133   2 227   2 132    1    1
    Construction   64 832   60 905   64 831   60 905    1 -
    Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair 694 041   657 555   694 027   657 544    14    11
    Transport and warehousing   169 753   165 155   169 745   165 148    8    7
    Providing of accommodation and food services 52 023   49 326   52 019   49 322    4    4
    Information and communication   20 182   19 155   20 182   19 155 - -
    Financial and insurance activities    663    602    663    602 - -
    Real estate transactions   104 134   100 076   104 114   100 063    20    13
    Professional, scientific and technical activities 33 154   31 379   33 154   31 379 - -
    Administrative and support services activities 45 918   43 870   45 905   43 857    13    13
    Public administration and defense; compulsory social security    127    118    127    118 - -
    Education   34 744   33 243   34 743   33 242    1    1
    Healthcare and social services   11 207   10 713   11 207   10 713 - -
    Arts, entertainment and recreation   16 965   15 962   16 964   15 961    1    1
    Provision of other types of services 296 845   277 732   296 779   277 725    66    7
    Registered and operating branches and branches of foreign legal entities

    As of September 1, 2025, the number of registered branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities amounted to 30462 units, including 22022 active ones. The largest number of registered branches and affiliates of foreign legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (3932 or 12,9%) and Astana (3529 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» (12600 or 41,4%), «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair» (4011 or 13,2%) and «Professional, scientific and technical activities» (2204 or 7,2%).

    Registered and operating branches by size and form of ownership
    as of September 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 26 392 2 629 22 607 141 650 1 156
    Small 25 293 2 331 21 854 120 622 1 108
    Medium 626 153 438 11 15 35
    Large 473 145 315 10 13 13
    Registered branches of foreign legal entities by size and activity
    as of September 1, 2025
    By dimension Total Of them
    operating including in the process of liquidation
    newly registered active temporarily inactive
    Total 4 070 2 143 323 900 920 80
    Small 4 031 2 106 322 869 915 79
    Medium 22 20 1 16 3 1
    Large 17 17 - 15 2 -
    Registered and operating legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with foreign and joint ownership

    As of September 1, 2025, the number of registered legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with a foreign form of ownership increased by 6% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. The number of registered legal entities and branches with joint ownership decreased by 0,02 %.

    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» – 35,5%, «Provision of other types of services» – 14,8%, «Construction» – 9%.

    Registered and operating legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with foreign and joint ownership by country*
    as of September 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 62 572 44 953 11 882 8 744
    Russia 23 105 17 496 4 896 3 748
    Uzbekistan 7 190 5 473 631 459
    China 6 790 4 950 1 112 869
    Türkiye 5 236 3 344 754 475
    Kyrgyzstan 3 110 1 943 385 296
    Azerbaijan 1 612 1 172 221 155
    Ukraine 1 298 895 371 282
    Germany 964 736 496 359
    Belarus 914 731 192 150
    Republic of Korea 891 564 163 107

    * 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 September 1, 2025, the number of operating SMEs increased by 6,4% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. In the total number of SMEs, the share of individual entrepreneurs was 69,1%, legal entities of small business – 20,1%, peasant or farm enterprises – 10,7%, 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» – 35,2%; «Provision of other types of services» – 13,8%. «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» – 12,1%.

    Registered and operating small and medium-sized businesses
    as of September 1, 2025
    By region Registered Operating
    Republic of Kazakhstan 2 378 414 2 174 309
    Abay 59 941 55 815
    Akmola 66 985 62 044
    Aktobe 94 903 88 788
    Almaty 164 575 155 159
    Atyrau 70 606 65 594
    Batys Kazakhstan 64 598 59 666
    Zhambyl 119 983 109 049
    Zhetysu 66 541 62 705
    Karagandy 113 606 101 335
    Kostanay 73 220 69 222
    Kyzylorda 69 316 66 664
    Mangystau 85 498 79 575
    Pavlodar 64 643 57 377
    Soltustik Kazakhstan 39 662 36 134
    Turkistan 220 528 215 934
    Ulytau 19 732 18 479
    Shygys Kazakhstan 70 172 63 678
    Astana city 307 870 267 501
    Almaty city 452 501 397 252
    Shymkent city 153 534 142 338
    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