BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 28. The total number of Visa payment cards in circulation in Kyrgyzstan significantly increased, reaching 4.2 million as of June 30, 2024.
Data obtained by Trend from the Kyrgyz National Bank shows that the figure grew by 1.5 times since the beginning of the year (2.68 million cards).
During the reporting period, Visa accounted for 53.2 percent of all cards in circulation in Kyrgyzstan, while at the end of the second quarter of last year this figure was 43.96 percent.
The lion's share of Visa cards was registered in the capital Bishkek - over 3.2 million cards, and the least number in the Naryn region - 39,135 cards.
To note, the total number of bank cards in circulation in Kyrgyzstan reached 7.9 million as of the second quarter of this year, which is a 30.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year, and 15.9 percent growth since the beginning of the year.
As of June 30, 2024, 21 commercial banks in Kyrgyzstan provided issuance and acquiring services for the Elkard, while 20 banks offered services for international payment systems.