Kyrgyzstanis spent over 4 billion KGS on taxi rides — expenses hit record highs

In Kyrgyzstan, people are spending way more on taxis. In the first quarter of 2025, Kyrgyz people spent over 1.28 billion KGS on taxi rides, which is almost three times more than in the same period in 2023, when it was 488.8 million KGS. These figures are contained in the National Bank's report.

The sharp increase in spending began in 2023 and continued throughout 2024. In total, over the year — from the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025 — taxi payments grew by another 56.4%, from 821.7 million to 1.28 billion KGS.

Overall, Kyrgyzstanis spent 4.3 billion KGS on taxi rides across the country last year. For comparison, in 2023 the amount was 2.6 billion KGS, and in 2022 — 1.2 billion KGS. This makes the taxi segment one of the fastest growing among all services paid for through payment organisations.

This growth can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the spread of cashless payments and changes in consumer behaviour patterns, and secondly, the fact that in large cities, taxis have become a basic service, replacing private or public transport in conditions of overloaded infrastructure.

The number of transactions is also impressive. In the first quarter of 2025, Kyrgyzstanis paid for taxis 7.48 million times. This is 1.4 times more than a year earlier. At the same time, the average bill per trip has increased and now stands at around 172 KGS. Since 2022, it has grown 1.2 times, from 145 KGS.

The increase in taxi expenses is part of a broader trend. Kyrgyz citizens are increasingly paying for everyday services through digital channels. The total volume of all payments through payment organisations for the quarter exceeded 227 billion KGS, which is almost twice the level at the beginning of 2023.