In Kyrgyzstan, registered unemployment is lower than in Kazakhstan and Armenia

By the end of June, the registered unemployment rate in Kyrgyzstan stood at 1.3 per cent of the labour force. Five years ago, in June 2021, the figure stood at 3.1 per cent — the figures have effectively swapped places since then.

According to data from the Eurasian Economic Commission, over the past five years the registered unemployment rate in Kyrgyzstan has fallen by 1.8 percentage points, or by approximately 58 per cent.

The trend in the figure as at the end of June was as follows:

• 2021 – 3.1 per cent;
• 2022 – 2.8 per cent;
• 2023 – 2.8 per cent;
• 2024 – 2.1 per cent;
• 2025 – 1.6 per cent;
• 2026 – 1.3 per cent.

Since the start of this year, the figure has remained virtually unchanged. In January–March it stood at 1.3 per cent, rose temporarily to 1.4 per cent in April, and returned to 1.3 per cent in May and June.

A different trend is observed in Kazakhstan. It is the only EAEU country where the registered unemployment rate has risen compared with June 2021. However, data for 2026 for the republic are not yet available in the EEC table; therefore, a comparison can only be made up to June 2025.

Over the past four years, the rate in Kazakhstan has risen from 2.4 per cent to 3.4 per cent – an increase of 1 percentage point, or almost 42 per cent. Over the same period, registered unemployment fell in the other member states of the union:

• in Armenia – from 5.3 per cent to 2.7 per cent;
• in Belarus – from 0.2 per cent to 0.1 per cent;
• in Kyrgyzstan – from 3.1 per cent to 1.6 per cent;
• in Russia – from 1.6% to 0.4%.

Across the EAEU as a whole, the rate had fallen to 0.8% by June 2025, compared with 1.7% in June 2021.

It is important to note that this refers specifically to registered unemployment – the proportion of citizens officially registered with employment services.