Which Goods and Services Became More Expensive in Kazakhstan in May
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Annual inflation in Kazakhstan slowed to 10.4% in May 2026, down from 10.6% a month earlier. Consumer prices increased by 0.7% month-on-month. The highest annual price growth continued to be recorded for non-food products and food items, which rose by 11.7% and 10.7%, respectively, according to the Bureau of National Statistics.
On a monthly basis, food prices increased by 0.4%, non-food products by 0.6%, and paid services by 1.1%.
Among food products, prices fell for cucumbers by 25.4%, tomatoes by 25.1%, sweet peppers by 8.3%, garlic by 3.1%, mandarins by 2.6%, beetroot by 2%, and both sunflower oil and canned corn by 0.4%. At the same time, lamb prices rose by 4.7%, beef liver and sprats in oil by 3.3%, apples by 3.1%, sausages by 1.7%, drinking milk by 1.1%, eggs by 0.6%, and kefir by 0.4%.
Among non-food products, prices declined for frying pans by 4.8%, dishwashers by 3.3%, books by 2.5%, smartphones by 1.5%, and indoor plants by 0.6%. Meanwhile, cameras became 7.4% more expensive, irons rose by 3.1%, laundry soap by 2.7%, and pharmaceutical products by 1.7%.
The cost of children's amusement rides increased by 6.6%, transport services by 1.5%, and car wash services by 0.7%.
On an annual basis, inflation stood at 10.4% in May 2026. Prices for non-food goods rose by 11.7% year-on-year, food products by 10.7%, and paid services by 8.7%.
Compared with May 2025, prices for cucumbers fell by 35.2%, onions by 25.1%, tomatoes by 24.3%, potatoes by 7.5%, bananas by 4.9%, and rice by 4.3%. At the same time, apples became 9.8% more expensive, frozen fish rose by 8.5%, black tea by 7.6%, pasta horns by 6.6%, and granulated sugar by 2.3%.
Compared with May 2025, prices for domestically assembled passenger cars declined by 17.9%, azithromycin by 6%, and microwave ovens by 1.1%. Meanwhile, laundry soap rose by 10.5%, men's trousers by 10.2%, and both washing powder and household appliances by 9.1%.
Among services, the most significant annual increases were recorded in transport services, up 11.1%, hotel services, up 10.3%, education services, up 8.9%, and mobile communications, up 7.6%.
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Tokayev says EAEU trade to surpass $100 billion
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said trade turnover among Eurasian Economic Union member states is expected to exceed $100 billion this year as the bloc continues to demonstrate stable economic growth despite global uncertainty, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council was held in Astana under the chairmanship of President Tokayev.
Addressing the session, the Kazakh leader noted that May 29 marks a symbolic date for the union, as the founding treaty of the EAEU was signed on this day in 2014.
The Eurasian Economic Union continues to maintain positive macroeconomic dynamics," Tokayev said. "According to forecasts, the growth rate of the combined GDP of the Union’s member states in 2026 and 2027 will amount to around 2.5%."
According to him, mutual trade between EAEU countries exceeded $95 billion last year despite volatility in global markets.
In the current year, we expect an increase in mutual trade by more than 6%, which will allow us to surpass the $100 billion mark," he stated.
At the same time, Tokayev warned that global economic conditions remain challenging. Referring to International Monetary Fund forecasts, he said global economic growth is expected to slow to 3% this year.
In these conditions, the tasks of adapting our union to new realities, strengthening internal resilience and increasing competitiveness acquire particular relevance," he stressed.
The President highlighted digitalization and artificial intelligence as key priorities for the future development of the union. According to Tokayev, global investments in AI technologies have already exceeded $1 trillion, while their contribution to the global economy may surpass $7 trillion in coming decades.
Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan has significantly expanded investment in innovation and digital technologies.
In Kazakhstan, the volume of investments in innovative projects has increased more than fivefold, while more than half of all investments are directed specifically to the digital sphere," he said.
The Kazakh leader also pointed to the rapid growth of the country’s IT sector. According to him, more than 100 high tech companies are currently developing within the Astana Hub ecosystem, while Kazakhstan’s IT exports have exceeded $1 billion.
Tokayev added that Kazakhstan ranks 24th in the UN e-Government Development Index and is among the world’s top 10 countries in terms of online public services quality.
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Kazakhstan sees no alternative to CPC for oil exports - Energy Ministry
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Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov commented on the discussion of Caspian Pipeline Consortium tariffs and the possibility of diversifying Kazakhstan’s oil supplies, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the minister, the issue of changing transit tariffs through the CPC was discussed on May 28 during the V Eurasian Economic Forum.
The issue was discussed yesterday, but a consensus among shareholders is required. Naturally, as a resource-rich country, we want to maintain the current tariffs, but this will be reviewed at the shareholders’ meeting," Akkenzhenov said on the sidelines of the forum.
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At present, there is no alternative to this pipeline. Kazakhstan’s oil exports amount to about 60-70 million tons in total. There is no other pipeline today capable of transporting such volumes from Kazakhstan to international markets. Therefore, everything we are discussing concerns additional routes. We are considering any additional routes," said Akkenzhenov.
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Kazakhstan expands its railway network and boosts capacity
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Kazakhstan continues to modernize its railway infrastructure, renew rolling stock, and introduce digital solutions in the transport sector, Qazinform News Agency reports.
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900 km of new tracks will be built, and 3,000 km will be modernized.
He highlighted digital solutions helped speed up key processes. Diagnostic time for rolling stock reduced from 2 hours to 8 minutes using the Kinetix system.
Artificial intelligence now coordinates transit, cutting scenario modeling from months to hours.
It should be noted, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy ranked in the top 3% of global transport companies in the S&P Global ESG rating.
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