Tokayev orders increase in Kazakhstan's minimum wage to $240

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has instructed the government to raise the minimum wage in Kazakhstan to 110,000 tenge (about $240) starting January 1, 2027, or by almost a third.

"We will continue to gradually increase the minimum wage. I instruct the government to raise the minimum wage from 85,000 to 110,000 tenge. This task must be implemented from January 1 of next year," he said, delivering his address to the people of Kazakhstan.

Thus, the increase will amount to about 29.4%. According to the president, this will boost the incomes of about 1.8 million people, including 370,000 public sector employees. Tokayev also instructed that the salaries of district police officers be raised by approximately 40% next year.

The minimum wage in Kazakhstan is the amount below which labor cannot be paid provided that a person works full-time. In the case of a reduced work schedule, an employee may receive less than this amount.

The indicator was last revised in 2024; it is also needed to calculate a number of social benefits.