As of May 1, 2026, tax revenues collected by local budgets in the Zhambyl Region reached KZT 66.1 billion, up from KZT 61.6 billion during the same period in 2025.
Despite overall growth, the structure of revenues reveals several internal imbalances. The region’s tax base remains highly concentrated. The city of Taraz alone accounts for 42.6% of all tax revenues.
Revenue growth was recorded across all districts, with the strongest increases seen in:
- Shu District – +86%
- Taraz District – +81%
- Moiynkum District – +72%
- Sarysu District – +65%
District Ranking by Tax Revenue (excluding Taraz):
Top performers:
- Shu District – KZT 5.5 billion
- Turar Ryskulov District – KZT 4.6 billion
- Sarysu District – KZT 2.5 billion
- Merki District – KZT 2.4 billion
- Zhambyl District – KZT 2.4 billion
- Baizak District – KZT 2.2 billion
Lowest performers:
- Zhualy District – KZT 1.7 billion
- Talas District – KZT 1.3 billion
Excluding Taraz, the gap between districts is only around three to four times. This suggests a more even distribution of economic activity compared to many other regions. However, it is largely an equality of a relatively small economic base. Most districts generate between KZT 1 billion and KZT 2.5 billion in tax revenues, reflecting the limited scale of their local economies.
At the same time, the largest contributors to Personal Income Tax (PIT) are:
- Turar Ryskulov District – KZT 2.1 billion
- Shu District – KZT 1.9 billion
- Baizak District – KZT 1.1 billion
- Moiynkum District – KZT 1.1 billion
The leader in Corporate Income Tax (CIT) collections is:
- Shu District – KZT 1.6 billion
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the average monthly wage in the region reached KZT 299.9 thousand in 2024. The highest wages were recorded in Moiynkum District (KZT 341.9 thousand) and Shu District (KZT 313.7 thousand), while the lowest average wage was observed in Baizak District at KZT 256.3 thousand.
Moiynkum District has a strong resource-based economic profile. It produces 100% of the region’s output of Portland cement, dore gold, and silver. The district is home to the Mynaral and Akbakai gold deposits, part of the Chu-Ili gold belt, as well as reserves of non-ferrous metals, barite ore, coal, limestone, marble, granite, and other mineral resources.
The leading districts rely on different economic foundations:
- Shu District – a major railway hub centered around Shu station, supported by rolling stock maintenance and repair enterprises, as well as industrial and mining projects, including Akkuduk.
- Turar Ryskulov District – primarily agriculture-driven, with livestock farming, crop production, agricultural processing, and a growing small and medium-sized business sector connected to agriculture.
According to the regional development plan, Zhambyl Region aims to accelerate investment activity and industrial growth.
The plan includes:
- increasing fixed capital investment from KZT 533.9 billion to KZT 2.23 trillion;
- expanding the number of investment projects from 24 to 114;
- attracting foreign direct investment through the implementation of 26-41 projects annually, with yearly investment volumes ranging from KZT 127.4 billion to KZT 1.172 trillion.
At the regional level, investment targets are largely expressed through quantitative indicators. The specific project pipeline becomes clearer when looking at individual districts.
For example, Sarysu District plans to implement projects such as the second phase of the EuroChem-Karatau chemical complex, a cement plant, and a soda ash production facility. These projects account for a significant share of the district’s expected foreign direct investment inflows.
The economy of Zhambyl Region remains concentrated. A significant share of revenues is generated in the city of Taraz, while most districts continue to operate on a relatively small tax base of KZT 1-2.5 billion. The revenue structure also highlights different sources of growth across districts. In some areas, tax revenues are driven primarily by household income and employment, while in others they depend on large industrial and resource extraction projects.
Investment activity is growing, but its structure remains uneven. Large-scale industrial and resource-based projects account for most of the expected investment volume, while smaller initiatives continue to dominate across many districts.
National Bureau of Economic Research specifically for EconomyKZ.org
