ASTANA – Transit freight volumes through Kazakhstan increased 5.6-fold over the past decade, rising from 6.5 million tons in 2015 to 36.3 million tons in 2025, according to the Bureau of National Statistics. The growth underscores Kazakhstan’s expanding role in transport links connecting China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe.
The increase accelerated in recent years, with transit freight volumes rising 70.8% in 2025 alone, adding 15.1 million tons. The figure exceeded 10 million tons for the first time in 2020, reaching 11.6 million tons, before climbing to 15.6 million tons in 2022 and 21.3 million tons in 2024.
The upward trend continued in 2026. According to the government, 32.6 million tons of cargo passed through Kazakhstan in transit between January and September, up 13.1% compared with the same period last year. The government aims to increase annual transit freight volumes to 100 million tons by 2035.
To support this goal, Kazakhstan is building new railway lines and modernizing existing sections of its transport network. However, official estimates for 2025 vary across government reports. While the Bureau of National Statistics recorded 36.3 million tons, a government report published on Oct.
15 put the figure at 39.1 million tons, representing an 18% annual increase. Railways and road transport drive transit growth Rail transport accounted for 18.7 million tons of transit freight in 2025, up from 13.3 million tons a year earlier. Another major category was vehicle combinations, including tractors with semi-trailers or trailers, which nearly tripled from 5.7 million tons in 2024 to 16.8 million tons in 2025.
Together, these two categories accounted for the overwhelming majority of transit freight. Meanwhile, transit shipments of vehicles moving under their own power as commodities declined from 1.8 million tons to 745,900 tons. Other transport categories accounted for relatively small volumes.
China remains a key source of transit freight Routes originating in China dominated Kazakhstan’s transit freight flows in 2025. The largest route by volume was China–Uzbekistan, which carried 6.5 million tons. An additional 4 million tons consisted of consolidated cargo from China bound for Kazakhstan and other countries.
The China–Russia route ranked third, with 3 million tons. The top 10 routes also included Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan, China–Tajikistan, China–Belarus and Uzbekistan–China. The distribution highlights Kazakhstan’s role not only in freight transport between China and Europe but also in connections linking Central Asian countries with Russia and Iran.
Industrial goods make up a significant share of cargo Industrial products accounted for a substantial share of transit freight through Kazakhstan in 2025. Cold-rolled iron and steel products topped the list, at 5.6 million tons. Motorcycles, mopeds and similar vehicles ranked second, with 2.2 million tons, followed by passenger cars at 619,200 tons.