ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 5. A Comprehensive Program for the Development of the light industry sector will be drafted in Kazakhstan with the participation of the business community and industry associations, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh government.
The decision was made following a meeting of the economic growth task force, which discussed measures for the further development of the country's light industry.
According to the government, the need for a systemic development document is driven by both the sector’s positive performance in recent years and its significant potential for further growth.
“Light industry is very important for us in terms of ensuring employment. For example, the Turkestan region, the most densely populated region of the country, has the largest number of light industry enterprises. With their further development, there is an opportunity to provide local residents with jobs and decent wages,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.
He noted that the Ministry of Industry and Construction should begin drafting the development program jointly with businesses. The document will identify key enterprises, their current performance indicators, and development targets. In return, companies will be expected to ensure employment for local residents and increase production.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the sector has demonstrated steady growth over the past five years. In 2025, production in the light industry increased by 13.2%, reaching 260 billion tenge (about $520.2 million).
Light industry currently accounts for 0.8% of the country’s manufacturing sector. More than 60% of the industry structure is represented by textile production, 32% by clothing manufacturing, and 6.5% by footwear and leather goods. Over 97% of enterprises in the sector are small businesses.
According to information, further development of the industry is expected through deeper processing of cotton and hides, expansion of synthetic fiber production, and increased output of higher value-added products.
In 2025, Kazakhstan harvested a record 466,000 tons of cotton. The country produced 116,100 tons of cotton fiber, 500 tons of yarn, 5.2 million square meters of fabric, and 28.6 million units of finished textile products.
The exchange rate used is 499.83 tenge per U.S. dollar, the official rate of the National Bank of Kazakhstan as of March 5, 2026.