ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s transport sector maintained positive growth in January-July 2026, with the physical volume of transport and warehousing services increasing 7.4% year on year, down from 22.5% a year earlier. The slower pace of expansion, alongside diverging trends across transport modes, may signal a gradual shift in the structure of the country’s logistics system, experts say.
The latest figures from the Bureau of National Statistics’ Aug. 12 report show that Kazakhstan’s transport sector is still expanding, with freight transportation up 0.9% and freight turnover increasing 1.0%. Passenger transportation grew 4.5%, while passenger turnover rose 6.1%.
However, the slower pace of growth does not necessarily indicate a weakening of the sector, according to financial economist Rassul Rysmambetov. He said the comparison with last year’s 22.5% growth should be viewed in the context of a high base effect. Rassul Rysmambetov, a financial analyst.
Photo credit: Kazinform. “The slowdown from 22.5% to 7.4%, if calculated correctly, can’t be explained as a crisis in transportation. Partially, it is a higher base effect, because last year’s high growth rate cannot be sustained for long,” Rysmambetov told the Astana Times.
He described the current rate as still representing “robust expansion,” with the sources of growth becoming more diversified. “Now we have domestic trade, road transportation, and Caspian shipping growing instead of high-volume transit and pipeline,” he added. Different modes reflect different parts of the economy The overall figures conceal significant differences between individual segments.
Road freight transportation increased 6.2% year on year, accounting for 37% of the sector’s total freight volume. Freight turnover in the segment rose 6.5%. Maritime freight transportation increased 7.2%, while freight turnover grew 18%. Inland waterway transportation recorded particularly rapid growth, with freight volumes increasing 68.5% and freight turnover more than doubling, rising 109.6%.
At the same time, railway freight volumes declined 1.7% to 190.1 million tonnes. Despite the decrease in physical volume, railway freight turnover increased 2.5% to 170.1 billion tonne-kilometres, accounting for 57% of total freight turnover. The combination of lower volumes and higher turnover may indicate that goods are being transported over longer distances.
Pipeline transportation recorded a 2.6% decline in freight volumes, to 148.5 million tonnes, while freight turnover decreased 2.9%.