The unobserved economy in Kyrgyzstan grew to 19.5% of GDP

The volume of the unobserved economy in Kyrgyzstan in 2024 amounted to 308 billion KGS. This is equivalent to 19.5% of gross domestic product. The indicator grew by 0.3 percentage points compared to 2023.

According to data from the National Statistics Committee, the increase in the share of the unobserved economy in annual terms is primarily due to its growth in the manufacturing industry. It was this sector that made the main contribution to the change in the indicator against the backdrop of expanding production activity.

At the same time, in the longer term, the trend towards a reduction in the scale of the shadow economy continues. Compared to 2020, its share in GDP decreased by 0.6 percentage points. This was achieved through structural changes in key sectors of the economy.

The largest reduction in the share of unobserved activity was recorded in:

• wholesale and retail trade, as well as repair of cars and motorcycles — by 1 p.p.;
• transportation and storage of goods — by 0.9 p.p.

Data for 2020–2024 show that after peaking in 2021, the share of the unobserved economy gradually declined, falling to 19.2% of GDP in 2023, but returned to moderate growth in 2024.