Over the 33 years from 1993 to 2026, the minimum wage in Kazakhstan increased from 13 tenge to 85,000 tenge. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
The calculation was made by a Sputnik Kazakhstan correspondent. Currently, the minimum wage is set annually.
2008–2018: tied to the subsistence minimum
From 2008 to 2018, the minimum wage was set at the level of the subsistence minimum and indexed annually in line with inflation.
2019: a 1.5-fold increase
From January 1, 2019, in accordance with the instruction of Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced in his address to the nation, the minimum wage increased 1.5-fold and reached 42,500 tenge.
Annual increases since 2022
Since 2022, the minimum wage in Kazakhstan has been increased annually. Thus, over three years, the minimum wage rose from 42,500 tenge to 85,000 tenge, doubling.
2024 methodology and the 2026 level
In 2024, the government adopted a resolution approving the methodology for determining the minimum monthly wage. In 2026, in accordance with the law "On the Republican Budget for 2026–2028," the minimum wage was set at 85,000 tenge.