In January-March 2026, the volume of services in the sports sector in Kazakhstan amounted to 79.4 billion tenge, an increase of 11.3% compared to the same period last year. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
In rural areas, the volume of sports services was 6.3 billion tenge, down 6% from the same period in 2025. However, in the long term, rural sports are developing: compared to 2022, the volume of services increased 3.5 times. Currently, the share of rural areas in the sports market is 7.9%.
Demand for fitness and sports clubs rises
In the first quarter of 2026, the volume of services in the fitness club segment reached 22.3 billion tenge, increasing by about a third year-on-year. Sports clubs ranked second with 18.1 billion tenge in services, including mass sports events, tournaments, competitions, football, golf, and other club activities. Services for the use of sports facilities grew by 10.7% to 11 billion tenge.
Nearly half of Kazakhstanis engage in sports
In 2025, 47.7% of residents aged 3 and older engaged in physical education and sports, up from 46.5% in 2024. In cities, the share of those involved in sports rose from 48.3% to 49.3%, and in rural areas from 43.5% to 45%. The urban-rural gap persists, but rural growth rates are higher.
Schools and educational institutions are the mainstay of sports
In 2025, 28.1% of the population engaged in sports at schools, colleges, and universities. Another 19.2% exercised independently. Only 0.4% were professional athletes. This indicates that Kazakhstan's mass sports focus is on covering children and youth through schools, sections, and amateur training.
Infrastructure remains a key issue
The country has about 26,000 sports facilities, but over 1,000 require repairs. In 2025, the level of population coverage with sports infrastructure reached 59.6% (55.1% in 2024). The state plan aims to increase this to 65% by 2029. Last year, 147 sports complexes were commissioned in Kazakhstan, 107 of them in rural areas. In 2026, another 121 sports facilities are planned to be launched.
Football is the most popular sport
The most popular sport in Kazakhstan is football. According to 2025 data, there are 19,400 football sections in the country, accounting for 16% of all sports sections. More than half of football sections are located in rural areas: 9,900 sections with 522,000 participants. Kazakhstan has over 7,000 football fields, but 1,400 need repairs. Additionally, there is a need for 1,700 new fields. New football stadiums are planned in Shymkent, Aktobe, and Almaty.
High interest in national sports
After football, national sports rank second. Kazakhstan has 17,200 sections for national sports, with 659,900 participants. This direction is especially popular in rural areas, with 11,200 sections. The most common national sports are togyz kumalak and Kazakh wrestling, with 11,100 sections covering 367,500 people. Volleyball, basketball, table tennis, chess, athletics, futsal, checkers, and boxing are also widespread. In terms of participants, volleyball follows football with 725,300 people engaged.