Meat prices are rising, but Kazakhstanis keep buying more

Tengrinews.kz – Despite rising prices, meat consumption in Kazakhstan continues to grow, according to a recent report by EnergyProm.

In the first quarter of 2025, the average per capita consumption of meat and meat products reached 20.6 kilograms — a 1.7% increase compared to the same period last year.

Which regions eat the most meat?

Residents of Akmola (24.1 kg), Zhambyl (23.9 kg), and Mangystau (23.6 kg) regions topped the list for highest meat consumption. Meanwhile, the lowest figures were recorded in Kyzylorda (15.8 kg), Shymkent (16.3 kg), and Turkistan (16.9 kg) regions.

Beef still dominates, but poultry and horse meat are gaining groundBeef remains the most consumed type of meat in Kazakhstan — 6.1 kg per person — though its consumption fell by 3% year-on-year. Lamb and pork intake also dropped slightly, by 1% and 2.8% respectively.

In contrast, demand increased for horse meat (+4.1% to 2.1 kg per person) and chicken (+5.6% to 1.4 kg).

Kazakh consumers are also buying more processed products: consumption of minced meat rose by 5.1% to 1.8 kg, semi-smoked sausages by 0.5% to 987 grams, and hot dogs and sausages by 0.9% to 573 grams. Small-cut meat products saw the sharpest rise — up 51.9%, although from a low base of just 41 grams per person per quarter.

On the other hand, there was a notable decline in the consumption of lard (-7.8%), beef liver (-4%), and boiled sausage (-4%).

Spending more on meat

Kazakh households spent an average of 157,900 tenge on meat and meat products in Q1 2025 — up 9.5% compared to the same period last year.

The highest spending was recorded in Mangystau Region, where families spent an average of 233,500 tenge — 47.9% above the national average, though slightly lower than last year. Zhambyl and Atyrau regions followed, with spending at 222,000 and 219,300 tenge, respectively.

The lowest spending was in North Kazakhstan Region (92,700 tenge), followed by Kostanay (101,300 tenge) and Akmola (121,700 tenge) regions.

Meat prices continue to climb

According to the Bureau of National Statistics, meat and meat product prices rose by 1.2% in June compared to May and by 11.3% year-on-year.

Beef and lamb saw the sharpest monthly increases (+1.7%), and the largest annual price hikes were also for beef (+16.9%) and lamb (+16.1%). Akmola, Kyzylorda, and West Kazakhstan regions reported the highest monthly growth rates, while the lowest were in Astana and Abai regions.

Over the past year, the steepest annual increases were recorded in Ulytau (+18%) and Akmola (+16.7%) regions.