Even employment does not always save people from poverty. In Kyrgyzstan, 17.3% of employed people live below the poverty line

Despite a noticeable reduction in extreme poverty in Kyrgyzstan over the past decade, the problem of low incomes remains acute even for working citizens. According to official data, at the end of 2024, 17.3% of the country's working population lived in poverty.

By comparison, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen over a long period from 1.6 million in 2000 to 198,300 in 2024. However, this progress does not automatically translate into an improved quality of life for everyone who has a job.

Overall, about 1.9 million people, or more than a quarter of the country's population, live below the national poverty line. This indicates that employment alone does not guarantee a decent standard of living — many workers' incomes are insufficient to cover their basic needs.

Families with children remain particularly vulnerable. Poverty disproportionately affects them, creating long-term social risks. The child poverty rate is 33.1%, or 954,508 children, and nearly 112,000 children live in extreme poverty.

Thus, the key challenge for the economy today is not only to create jobs, but also to improve their quality through higher wages, increased productivity, and access to social protection.