Published
08/02/2026, 15:30Bank cards have long since ceased to be a rarity in the wallets of Kyrgyz citizens, yet the bulk of their money is still withdrawn as cash.
In 2025, transactions totalling 1.19 trillion KGS were carried out via cards in the country. Of this total, around 819.3 billion KGS were withdrawn as cash, whilst only 366.8 billion KGS were spent on goods and services via payment terminals.
In other words, for every 100 KGS of card turnover, Kyrgyz citizens withdrew approximately 69 KGS in cash and spent only 31 KGS via non-cash transactions.
However, in terms of the number of transactions, the situation is exactly the opposite. Over the course of the year, the country’s residents made around 168.8 million card payments in shops and service establishments, whilst cash was withdrawn approximately 56.3 million times.
It follows that cashless payments were made three times more frequently, but the amounts involved in such transactions were significantly lower. The average payment via a point-of-sale terminal was around 2,200 KGS, whilst the average cash withdrawal transaction was approximately 14,600 KGS.
The dominance of cash became particularly pronounced in the second half of the year. In the first quarter, cash withdrawals accounted for 64.4 per cent of card turnover; in the second quarter, this figure stood at 62.7 per cent. However, in the third quarter, the share jumped to 74.3 per cent, and in the fourth quarter it reached 74.7 per cent.
In October–December alone, Kyrgyz citizens withdrew around 234.7 billion KGS from their cards, whilst they spent approximately 79.6 billion KGS on goods and services via point-of-sale terminals.
Thus, Kyrgyz citizens are gradually getting used to paying by card, but are not yet in a hurry to give up cash entirely.
