| 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 | 552 049 | 438 640 | 1 899 141 | 1 820 909 | 29 820 | 21 913 | 2 381 350 | 2 198 251 | |
| Small | 542 471 | 429 186 | - | - | 28 681 | 20 784 | 2 378 186 | 2 195 153 | |
| Medium | 6 980 | 6 886 | - | - | 650 | 644 | 3 164 | 3 098 | |
| Large | 2 598 | 2 568 | - | - | 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 November, compared to October 2025, 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 2,6%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of operating legal entities - by 1%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 3,4%. 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 December 1, 2025. amounted to 26,8%. On the second place – «Construction» (13,4%), on the third – «Provision of other types of services» (10%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 50,2 % of all registered legal entities.
As of December 1, 2025, the largest number of registered legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (157839 or 28,6%), Astana (108732 or 19,7%), and Shymkent (30091 or 5,5%). The smallest number of registered legal entities falls on the regions of Ulytau (2893 or 0,5%), Zhetisu (8459 or 1,5%) and Abay (8651 or 1,6%).
| By type of activity | Total | Of them | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| operating | including | in the process of liquidation | ||||
| newly registered | active | temporarily suspended activities | ||||
| Total | 552 049 | 438 640 | 48 003 | 198 653 | 191 984 | 4 664 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 21 275 | 18 812 | 1 689 | 5 641 | 11 482 | 121 |
| Mining and Quarrying | 6 157 | 5 338 | 741 | 1 340 | 3 257 | 49 |
| Manufacturing industry | 28 367 | 23 037 | 1 797 | 10 406 | 10 834 | 262 |
| Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning | 1 955 | 1 670 | 149 | 556 | 965 | 18 |
| Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities | 2 784 | 2 260 | 159 | 979 | 1 122 | 43 |
| Construction | 74 050 | 56 985 | 5 384 | 19 127 | 32 474 | 1 175 |
| Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair | 147 909 | 106 514 | 13 519 | 45 303 | 47 692 | 1 622 |
| Transport and warehousing | 23 320 | 18 800 | 1 713 | 8 597 | 8 490 | 214 |
| Providing of accommodation and food services | 11 381 | 9 037 | 1 294 | 4 018 | 3 725 | 40 |
| Information and communication | 19 579 | 16 045 | 2 113 | 7 225 | 6 707 | 60 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 8 165 | 6 018 | 971 | 2 431 | 2 616 | 118 |
| Real estate transactions | 27 694 | 23 876 | 2 132 | 13 947 | 7 797 | 161 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 35 934 | 29 056 | 2 546 | 14 013 | 12 497 | 206 |
| Administrative and support services activities | 26 013 | 21 650 | 1 690 | 11 215 | 8 745 | 143 |
| Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 9 724 | 9 481 | 215 | 8 959 | 307 | 31 |
| Education | 31 766 | 29 421 | 1 630 | 21 340 | 6 451 | 128 |
| Healthcare and social services | 12 653 | 11 541 | 1 098 | 7 215 | 3 228 | 38 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 8 112 | 6 659 | 740 | 3 149 | 2 770 | 36 |
| Provision of other types of services | 55 210 | 42 439 | 8 423 | 13 191 | 20 825 | 199 |
| 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 | 552 049 | 26 044 | 467 332 | 520 | 11 217 | 58 673 |
| Small | 542 471 | 21 058 | 463 239 | 455 | 10 923 | 58 174 |
| Medium | 6 980 | 3 756 | 2 924 | 30 | 170 | 300 |
| Large | 2 598 | 1 230 | 1 169 | 35 | 124 | 199 |
In November, compared to October 2025, there is a slight increase in the number of registered individual entrepreneurs (by 0,02%), compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increase by 5,5%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of operating subjects of individual entrepreneurship - by 0,7%, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, their number increased by 6,7%. 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 December 1, 2025 was 36,4%. In second place is «Provision of other types of services» (15,3%), in third place is «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» (13,3%). Together, the share of these three types of activities is 65% 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 | 1 899 141 | 1 820 909 | 1 826 690 | 1 749 433 | 72 451 | 71 476 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 252 239 | 245 358 | 179 928 | 173 950 | 72 311 | 71 408 |
| Mining and Quarrying | 779 | 710 | 779 | 710 | - | - |
| Manufacturing industry | 90 744 | 86 388 | 90 736 | 86 381 | 8 | 7 |
| Supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and air conditioning | 625 | 586 | 625 | 586 | - | - |
| Water supply; sanitation, waste collection, treatment and disposal, pollution elimination activities | 2 247 | 2 173 | 2 246 | 2 172 | 1 | 1 |
| Construction | 67 223 | 64 150 | 67 222 | 64 150 | 1 | - |
| Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair | 690 764 | 658 898 | 690 749 | 658 886 | 15 | 12 |
| Transport and warehousing | 177 706 | 174 086 | 177 698 | 174 079 | 8 | 7 |
| Providing of accommodation and food services | 54 074 | 51 829 | 54 069 | 51 824 | 5 | 5 |
| Information and communication | 20 583 | 19 720 | 20 583 | 19 720 | - | - |
| Financial and insurance activities | 681 | 628 | 681 | 628 | - | - |
| Real estate transactions | 106 696 | 103 471 | 106 675 | 103 456 | 21 | 15 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 33 465 | 31 976 | 33 465 | 31 976 | - | - |
| Administrative and support services activities | 46 730 | 44 957 | 46 717 | 44 944 | 13 | 13 |
| Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 137 | 130 | 137 | 130 | - | - |
| Education | 35 119 | 33 758 | 35 118 | 33 757 | 1 | 1 |
| Healthcare and social services | 11 129 | 10 674 | 11 129 | 10 674 | - | - |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 17 323 | 16 450 | 17 322 | 16 449 | 1 | 1 |
| Provision of other types of services | 290 877 | 274 967 | 290 811 | 274 961 | 66 | 6 |
As of December 1, 2025, the number of registered branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities amounted to 29820 units, including 21913 active ones. The largest number of registered branches and affiliates of foreign legal entities is in the cities of Almaty (3855 or 12,9%) and Astana (3513 or 11,8%), and in the Turkistan region (1918 or 6,4%). 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» (12451 or 41,8%), «Wholesale and retail trade; car and motorcycle repair» (3853 or 12,9%) and «Professional, scientific and technical activities» (2166 or 7,3%).
| 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 | 25 813 | 2 610 | 22 070 | 131 | 610 | 1 133 |
| Small | 24 714 | 2 299 | 21 329 | 110 | 580 | 1 086 |
| Medium | 626 | 160 | 433 | 12 | 15 | 33 |
| Large | 473 | 151 | 308 | 9 | 15 | 14 |
| By dimension | Total | Of them | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| operating | including | in the process of liquidation | ||||
| newly registered | active | temporarily suspended activities | ||||
| Total | 4 007 | 2 149 | 349 | 905 | 895 | 85 |
| Small | 3 967 | 2 111 | 348 | 872 | 891 | 84 |
| Medium | 24 | 22 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| Large | 16 | 16 | - | 14 | 2 | - |
As of December 1, 2025, the number of registered legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities with a foreign form of ownership increased by 7,5% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. The number of registered legal entities and branches with joint ownership increased by 0,6%.
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» – 35,6%, «Provision of other types of services» – 14,7%, «Construction» – 8,9%.
| Be country | Legal entities, branches and subsidiaries of foreign legal entities | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| with foreign ownership | with joint ownership | |||
| registered | operating | registered | operating | |
| Republic of Kazakhstan | 63 813 | 47 119 | 11 827 | 8 849 |
| Russia | 22 906 | 17 533 | 4 823 | 3 758 |
| Uzbekistan | 7 885 | 6 186 | 632 | 467 |
| China | 7 716 | 5 977 | 1 155 | 921 |
| Türkiye | 5 171 | 3 336 | 745 | 480 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 3 006 | 2 081 | 379 | 283 |
| Azerbaijan | 1 640 | 1 230 | 224 | 161 |
| Ukraine | 1 289 | 922 | 371 | 282 |
| Germany | 965 | 754 | 489 | 361 |
| Belarus | 915 | 733 | 188 | 152 |
| Republic of Korea | 882 | 562 | 166 | 107 |
* Top 10 countries by the largest number of registered legal entities, branches and branches of foreign legal entities
As of December 1, 2025, the number of operating SMEs increased by 6,1% compared to the corresponding date of the previous year. In the total number of operating SMEs, the share of individual entrepreneurs was 71,7%, legal entities of small business – 17%, peasant or farm enterprises – 11,2%, 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%; «Provision of other types of services» – 13,5%. «Agriculture, forestry and fisheries» – 12%.
| By region | Registered | Operating |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Kazakhstan | 2 381 350 | 2 198 251 |
| Abay | 59 542 | 55 903 |
| Akmola | 67 364 | 63 054 |
| Aktobe | 94 025 | 88 137 |
| Almaty | 166 739 | 156 944 |
| Atyrau | 70 046 | 65 476 |
| Batys Kazakhstan | 63 919 | 59 949 |
| Zhambyl | 118 954 | 109 929 |
| Zhetysu | 66 179 | 63 080 |
| Karagandy | 113 062 | 103 299 |
| Kostanay | 73 027 | 69 252 |
| Kyzylorda | 68 774 | 66 269 |
| Mangystau | 84 616 | 79 520 |
| Pavlodar | 64 575 | 57 649 |
| Soltustik Kazakhstan | 39 280 | 35 953 |
| Turkistan | 219 927 | 216 100 |
| Ulytau | 19 391 | 18 381 |
| Shygys Kazakhstan | 69 461 | 63 473 |
| Astana city | 312 250 | 277 553 |
| Almaty city | 457 718 | 405 346 |
| Shymkent city | 152 501 | 142 984 |
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.