ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 3. Banks in Kazakhstan
recorded a 16% quarter-on-quarter increase in the number of loan
applications from large businesses in the first quarter of 2026,
according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan’s survey of
second-tier banks, Trend reports.
At the same time, the average loan size rose by 80% to 18.8
billion tenge ($39.9 million).
In the large business segment, some banks observed deferred
demand for investment projects and a wait-and-see approach among
borrowers amid current economic conditions. At the same time,
several banks reported a significant increase in requested
financing volumes for strategic projects, which affected overall
indicators.
Conversely, banks attributed a slight decline in demand from
small and medium-sized businesses to the utilization of previously
allocated state support funds and seasonal factors.
According to the National Bank, financial institutions are
currently discussing proposed changes to the terms of the "Örleu"
funding program with the "Damu" Entrepreneurship Development
Fund.
Banks also noted that it is still too early to assess the
potential impact of the new Tax Code on possible shifts of
individual entrepreneurs into the self-employed category,
emphasizing the need for a longer observation period to evaluate
effects on lending activity.
