ALMATY – Central Asia’s combined economy has surpassed half a trillion US dollars, reaching an estimated $543 billion, with Kazakhstan accounting for more than half of the region’s gross domestic product, according to figures compiled by The Times of Central Asia.
Kazakhstan’s economy is estimated at $306 billion, representing nearly 56% of the combined GDP of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. The figures highlight Kazakhstan’s continuing economic weight in a region where economic growth, trade links and international investment are increasingly reshaping Central Asia’s position.
Uzbekistan has the region’s second-largest economy at $147 billion, followed by Turkmenistan at $50 billion, the Kyrgyz Republic at $23 billion and Tajikistan at $18 billion. Kazakhstan’s position becomes even more pronounced when GDP is considered alongside trade and investment.
Kazakhstan accounts for two-thirds of regional exports The five Central Asian countries generated a combined $139 billion in exports, of which Kazakhstan accounted for $92 billion, or 66%. Uzbekistan contributed $32 billion, representing 23% of regional exports.
Turkmenistan accounted for $7 billion, the Kyrgyz Republic for $6 billion and Tajikistan for approximately $1.6 billion. The overview uses 2024 data for Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The figures point to a regional economic structure in which Kazakhstan remains the principal link between Central Asia and international commodity and trade markets.
Its large energy and mineral sectors, as well as developed transport and industrial infrastructure, give it a substantially larger export capacity than its neighbors. However, the concentration of exports also raises a broader question about the region’s future development.
As Central Asian economies become more integrated through transport corridors and growing intra-regional trade, Kazakhstan’s economic scale gives it a major advantage, but also makes its diversification increasingly important for the region as a whole. Nearly 70% of accumulated foreign investment is in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan also dominates the region in terms of accumulated foreign direct investment.
The combined stock of foreign direct investment across Central Asia is estimated at $220.5 billion, with $151.3 billion, or 68.6%, concentrated in Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan follows with $44.6 billion, while Uzbekistan has accumulated $16.7 billion. The Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan each account for approximately $4 billion.
This gap is significant because FDI is not simply a measure of capital inflows. Over time, accumulated investment can shape industrial capacity, infrastructure, technology transfer and a country’s ability to develop new sectors. Kazakhstan’s share suggests that international investors continue to view the country as the region’s largest and most established investment market.
At the same time, the figures illustrate how unevenly foreign capital remains distributed across Central Asia. Economic weight exceeds Kazakhstan’s demographic share