E-commerce in Kazakhstan - statistics & facts
While still an emerging market compared to global leaders in e-commerce, Kazakhstan has the most developed online shopping landscape in Central Asia. Just over two decades after the first online shops emerged in the country, online sales accounted for over 12 percent of the retail trade in 2023. The market size peaked at over five trillion Kazakhstani tenge in the same year. Domestic online retail brought the most revenue at over two trillion Kazakhstani tenge; to compare, digital services sales within the country stood at 1.6 trillion Kazakhstani tenge. Online marketplaces are the most popular sales channel, accounting for almost 90 percent of the retail e-commerce revenue.
The Kazakhstani e-commerce market is growing steadily, especially due to the rise of online marketplaces. In 2029, the revenue is forecast to reach 5.26 billion U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the penetration rate of e-commerce is expected to increase by 7.8 percentage points between 2024 and 2029.
Leading e-commerce platforms in Kazakhstan
The digital ecosystem Kaspi, which offers various online services, had the most popular e-commerce platform by monthly traffic. On average, around 18 million users visited the Kaspi app or website in December 2024. Furthermore, Kaspi Shop (Kaspi Магазин) and Kaspi Travel were the leading online retailers in Kazakhstan in 2023, having generated approximately 3.3 billion U.S. dollars and 774 million U.S. dollars in revenue, respectively. Wildberries, a Russian e-retailer, followed in the third place, with earnings from e-commerce totaling about 614 million U.S. dollars in 2023.What do Kazakhstani customers buy online?
Among physical goods, products for home are the most popular category, followed by apparel, footwear, and sporting goods. According to a survey from 2023, nine percent and seven percent of Kazakhstani retail customers admitted to having bought furniture and apparel online, respectively. Transportation ticketing and seat booking led the ranking of most-sold services.Obstacles to e-commerce development in Kazakhstan and the EAEU
Despite the increasing internet penetration rate in Kazakhstan and changing consumer preferences linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many consumers remain suspicious of ordering goods and services online. In a survey from 2023, over 80 percent of customers nationwide saw no need for online purchases, whereas 17 percent expressed loyalty to traditional brick-and-mortar stores. A third of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) residents, of which Kazakhstan is a part, expressed fears of receiving low-quality goods. Furthermore, six percent were afraid that the goods would not be delivered on time.The Kazakhstani e-commerce market is growing steadily, especially due to the rise of online marketplaces. In 2029, the revenue is forecast to reach 5.26 billion U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the penetration rate of e-commerce is expected to increase by 7.8 percentage points between 2024 and 2029.
