ALMATY, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan's business activity index (BAI) rose from 49.9 in December to 50.8 in January, returning to expansion territory, the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) said Wednesday.
The results were based on a monthly survey of enterprises conducted by the central bank to assess real-sector economic conditions, according to the NBK.
The central bank attributed the improvement mainly to the services sector, where the index rose to 52.1 from 49 a month earlier.
Activity in production and trade remained in expansion territory in January, with the indices at 50.8 and 50.3, respectively, compared with 52 and 51.3 in December, the NBK said.
The BAI improved in the construction sector but remained in contraction territory at 47.1, up from 45.4 in December, the central bank said, adding that in the mining sector, business activity edged down to 49.1 in January from 49.4 in the previous month.
The central bank noted that the assessment of current business conditions deteriorated in January 2026, with the business climate index declining slightly to 4.4. ■