Kazakhstan: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Kazakhstan's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) fell 2.31 trillion on 2022 (from 942.28 billion to -1.37 trillion).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2022), the average change was −1.52 billion and a typical year strayed about 1.75 trillion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.66 trillion in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.1 trillion in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 9% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Kazakhstan had the 13th highest value of the 17 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Kazakhstan in the 2023 ranking

• Iceland — 9th of 17: -47.09 billion
• Nepal — 10th of 17: -315.76 billion
• Togo — 11th of 17: -367.19 billion
• Kenya — 13th of 17: -1.5 trillion
• Sri Lanka — 14th of 17: -2.54 trillion
• Côte d'Ivoire — 15th of 17: -2.65 trillion

What this measures

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 22 values

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Albania — -26.12 billion (2024)
• Armenia — -369.71 billion (2024)
• Austria — -17.68 billion (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 4.96 billion (2024)
• Belarus — 3.24 billion (2024)
• Belgium — -16.5 billion (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — -804.04 million (2024)
• Bulgaria — -2.76 billion (2024)
• Croatia — -1.14 billion (2023)
• Cyprus — 1.45 billion (2024)

More public sector data for Kazakhstan

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 682.3 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.43% (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.31 billion (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 18 million (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 71,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.74% (2020)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 2.55 (2022)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 2.12% (2025)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 1.42 trillion (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Kazakhstan's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)?

-1.37 trillion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is down 4,434% from -30.15 billion in 1997. The highest value was 2.23 trillion in 2011 and the lowest -4.72 trillion in 2020.

How does Kazakhstan rank?

13th highest of 17 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) unusual for Kazakhstan?

In 2023, Kazakhstan's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) fell 2.31 trillion on 2022 (from 942.28 billion to -1.37 trillion). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2022), the average change was −1.52 billion and a typical year strayed about 1.75 trillion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.NLD.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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