ALMATY, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank forecasts Kazakhstan's gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 4.6 percent in 2026 and 3.9 percent in 2027, according to its latest Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Economic Update published on Thursday.
The 2026 projection was revised up by 0.1 percentage point from the bank's January estimate of 4.5 percent, while the outlook for 2027 remains unchanged.
The budget deficit in Kazakhstan is projected to narrow by almost 2 percentage points of the GDP as the government tightens spending to reduce inflationary pressures and higher oil prices boost revenues, the report said.
Central Asia is projected to remain the fastest-growing subregion in ECA even as the pace of expansion slows. Growth in Central Asia is expected to decline to an average of 4.9 percent in 2026-2027 from 7 percent last year, as the expansion of oil production in Kazakhstan slows despite higher global commodity prices, the report said.
In 2025, Kazakhstan's economy expanded by 6.5 percent, pushing the nation's GDP above 300 billion U.S. dollars for the first time. The main drivers of economic growth included industry, transport, construction and trade. ■