Published
09/03/2025, 15:13The Kyrgyz economy continues to rely heavily on labour migration. According to data for 2024, 23% of all income from labour was generated outside the country, mainly in Russia, which remains the main external labour market for Kyrgyz citizens.
In six months, labour migrants transferred $1 billion 662.3 million to Kyrgyzstan, an average of $277 million per month. The main country from which the bulk of remittances originate is Russia. During the same period, remittances from Russia amounted to $1 billion 552.9 million, or 93.4% of the total.
According to a study by the National Statistical Committee, the southern regions are the most dependent on external income. In the Batken region, remittances from migrants account for 42.6% of all income from labour, in the Osh region – 37.7%, and in the Jalal-Abad region – 36.8%. In Issyk-Kul region, the figure was 17.5%, and in the city of Osh, 21.7%.
The lowest figures are in Bishkek and Naryn region, at only 1.8%.
Calculations show that if the income of labour migrants were excluded from the cost of consumption, the poverty level in the country would rise from 25.7% (author's note — recorded in 2024, with another 7.7% in the ‘risk zone’) to 37.3%. The largest increase would be in the Osh region, where the rate would more than double, from 19.8% to 43.9%. Poverty would reach 65.5% in the Batken region, 46.5% in the Jalal-Abad region, 37.6% in the Issyk-Kul region, 28.3% in the Chui region, and 16.5% in the city of Osh.
At the same time, dependence on remittances is particularly noticeable when assessing extreme poverty. Without migrant income, its level would rise from 2.7% to 16.4%.
