Export of technologies from Kazakhstan

Foreign trade of Kazakhstan

Main article: Foreign trade of Kazakhstan

Chronicle

2024

Export of IT services from Kazakhstan for the year increased by 30.5% to $690.7 million

The volume of exports of computer services from Kazakhstan reached $690.7 million in 2024, an increase of 30.5% compared to the previous period of 2023. This became known in June 2025. The data is published by the National Bank of Kazakhstan and reflects the growth of external demand for Kazakhstan IT solutions, including software and technical support.

According to digitalbusiness, the growth of IT exports has slowed down compared to previous periods. In 2023, compared to 2022, the increase was 56%, and in 2022 by 2021 - 345%. The decrease in growth rates is due to the gradual exhaustion of the effect of the relocation of Russian and Belarusian IT companies to Kazakhstan.

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Фото: Freepik

More than two-thirds of the export of computer services falls on resident companies of the Astana Hub international technology park. The general director of the technopark, Magzhan Madiev, previously reported that residents of the hub exported services worth $475 million in 2024. The number of residents of the technopark exceeded 1.5 thousand companies, including 400 international organizations.

The total revenue of Astana Hub residents reached ₸620 billion (₽96,3 billion) in 2024. Revenue from export operations amounted to ₸227 billion (₽35,3 billion), which is equivalent to $479 million. The geography of export of residents of the technopark covers more than 90 countries of the world.

The Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan announced the achievement of export of IT services in the amount of $471 million for the nine months of 2024. This figure exceeded the same period in 2023 by 26%. The agency predicted that the amount of export of IT services by the end of 2024 will be about $700 million.

Imports of foreign software and IT services to Kazakhstan decreased from $453.6 million in 2023 to $324 million in 2024. Such dynamics turned Kazakhstan into a pure IT exporter, since the supply of computer services abroad consistently exceeds imports into the country.

The reduction in imports is due to the reorientation of large customers in Kazakhstan to local IT suppliers. Companies are switching from vendor software to their own microservice architecture. The completion of a number of large digitalization projects in the corporate and public sectors also affected the decline in imports.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set the task of bringing IT exports to $1 billion by 2026. By 2029, it is planned to increase this figure to $5 billion. The development of the digital sector remains a priority for the country's economy.

For the first time, GovTech products of National Information Technologies JSC were exported. Among the exported solutions are the Smart Data Ukimet platforms, Smart Bridge and the EPIR website designer. These products expand the line of Kazakhstani IT services in the international market.

Exports of services from Kazakhstan over the past 20 years have grown 4.5 times and reached $8.6 billion in 2024, according to the Ministry of Economy. A significant contribution to this growth was made by the IT sector, which has become one of the most dynamic areas in the country's economy.

For the period from 2005 to 2021, the export of IT services increased almost 130 times - from $0.6 million to $76 million. The growth was not only due to internal resources, but also due to the relocation of Russian IT companies that chose Kazakhstan for business development.

In addition to IT services, export is marked by an increase in financial and cultural services, which indicates an increase in opportunities in the field of intangible goods. Experts note that the growth of exports of services helps to mitigate the impact of the geographical distance of Kazakhstan from the main world markets.^[1]

Ministry of Digital Development of Kazakhstan named 3 main export IT products

In 2023-2024, the volume of exports of digital solutions of Kazakhstan in the field of public services (GovTech) reached 1.36 billion tenge, or $2.7 million at the exchange rate as of November 26, 2024. E-government products are shipped to countries such as Tajikistan, Togo and Sierra Leone. This was announced at the end of November 2024 by the Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiev.

Our digital developments in the field of GovTech are reaching the international level. The main exported products are Smart Data Ukimet, Smart Bridge and Gov.kz, Madiev said.

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Фото: Freepik

Smart Data Ukimet is an information and analytical platform designed to collect, store and comprehensively analyze data accumulated in information systems of state bodies. All personal and sensitive information of citizens and businesses goes through the encryption procedure and, in the form of a depersonalized array of information, enters the data lake. In turn, Smart Bridge is an information and communication service in the form of the Service Showcase platform, aimed at simplifying the processes of integrating information systems between government agencies and private business. Gov.kz is a single platform for Internet resources of state bodies.

Madiev also said that at the end of 2023, the volume of exports of IT services in Kazakhstan reached $529 million, while in the first half of 2024 this figure amounted to $306 million. Products of Kazakhstani developers are delivered to 86 countries around the world. In order to expand the sales market, long-term partnership programs are being developed with well-known global companies. It is said that Kazakhstan is one of the 30 most digitized states on a global scale and ranks eighth in terms of online services.^[2]

In five years, the volume of exports of IT services in Kazakhstan has grown to $600 million

Information technology exports from Kazakhstan reached $600 million in five years, which is 20 times more than in the previous 5-year period. Growth indicators were announced at a meeting of the country's leadership with representatives of large technological business in November 2024.

It is noted that a certain contribution to export is made by the American company EPAM Systems, which in 2024 exported services worth more than $40 million through the Astana Hub technopark.

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Фото: Unsplash

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov stressed that Kazakhstan should become a territory of total digitalization and accelerated development of artificial intelligence, the country has great potential.

EPAM Systems is represented in seventeen cities of Kazakhstan, where about one thousand specialists work. The company's training center has trained more than five thousand professionals in the field of information technology.

As part of the Tech Orda education program, the company has taught over seven hundred students programming skills in Java, Python and Data Engineering technologies. In 2024, three hundred more students were selected for training.

The company plans to participate in the creation of an artificial intelligence laboratory at the National Center for Artificial Intelligence of Kazakhstan. The project aims to develop research initiatives and create new technological solutions.

The Government of Kazakhstan instructed the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry to strengthen support for joint projects in the field of digitalization.

Development of export of IT services is part of Kazakhstan's digital transformation strategy aimed at diversifying the economy and creating high-tech jobs^[3]

2023: Kazakhstan's IT exports grow by 57% to $529 million

According to the results of 2023, Kazakhstan's IT exports reached $529 million. This is 57% more than in the previous year, when sales of computer services abroad amounted to $337 million. Such data are given in the materials of the National Bank of the Republic, which TAdviser got acquainted with in mid-August 2024.

It is said that the export of IT services of Kazakhstan in the first half of 2023 amounted to $247.3 million, having increased 2.2 times compared to January-June 2022 ($110.5 million). In the second half of 2023, sales of computer services abroad exceeded $281 million. The main destinations for IT exports are the United States (8.71%), the United Arab Emirates (3.67%), Cyprus (2.65%), the Netherlands (1.51%), the Russian Federation (1.72%), the United Kingdom (1.09%), Germany (1.02%), Spain (1.54%), Ireland (8.64%), Canada (0.19%).

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Фото: Unsplash

The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan notes that the country's IT exports are showing rapid growth. So, in 2020, its volume was about $30 million, in 2021 it rose to $60.07 million, and in 2022 it was at the level of 337 million. According to Mussin, between 2020 and 2023, IT exports grew almost 20 times. Salt high dynamics, as noted, contributes to the growth of the country's economy.

Most of the sales of computer services abroad are accounted for by Astana Hub residents, who make up about 60% of the IT market in Kazakhstan. In 2023, they provided exports worth $315 million. And in the period from 2018 to 2023, residents of the leading Kazakh technopark exported their services for $630.9 million. In 2023, 394 technopark residents exported their products and services to 86 countries: the largest markets were the United States ($111.7 million), Russia ($34.5 million) and Ireland ($30.3 million). These countries accounted for more than half of the total export of the technopark.

It is said that the range of services offered by Kazakh IT companies covers a variety of areas: from software development to game creation and data analysis. The leaders in the volume of exported services were service companies engaged in software development. In particular, 189 Astana Hub residents provided services for the development of IT solutions for $228.2 million. The remaining 205 companies exported products worth $83.6 million, covering areas such as SaaS (software as a service), game creation, etc.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set the task of bringing the export of IT services to $1 billion by 2026 and making the country a center of attraction for digital nomads. To achieve this goal, various initiatives are being implemented. In particular, IT schools are opening in which everyone can get a high-quality education in the field of programming. The Tech Orda project, initiated by the president, aims to train 20,000 IT professionals by 2025. This project provides educational grants for education in IT schools; it is planned to provide 3 thousand vouchers for training at such sites of citizens aged 18 to 45 years. As of mid-2024, applications from students are accepted by 77 accredited IT schools. The Ministry of Digital Development also notes that Kazakhstan focuses on digital diplomacy, promoting its IT products and services in the international market. In addition, the Astana Hub experience in the regions is being scaled. By the end of 2023, 12 regional sites have been opened and are functioning (Semey, Kyzylorda, Taraz, Taldykorgan, Turkestan, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Uralsk, Aktobe, Karaganda, Kostanay, Kokshetau, Pavlodar).^[4]

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