Economic development of Kazakhstan in 2004
During 2004 Kazakhstan has enjoyed further growth of all sectors of economy.
As during the previous years, mostly the growth of industrial production (10.1%)
contributed to GDP growth (9.3%). For over five years the growth of capital
investments exceeds 10% - in 2004 it is 10.6% and foreign direct investments
surpassed US$ 2 bln, while growth of agricultural production is relatively small
(0.1%).
Hard currency reserves (2004) ЁC US$ 14.4 bln., growth 66.3%, including
National Oil Fund ЁC 5,3 bln US$.
Foreign trade grew with all partners, with exports reaching US$ 20 bln.
(growth 54%) and import - US$ 13 bln (growth 55%). Budget revenue totalled 1.180
trillion tenge (1 KZT ҰЦ 130 USD) as of December 1, up 28.5% from a year
earlier, and spending and lending totalled 1.165 trillion tenge, up 23%,
according to the Finance Ministry.
Industrial output grew in all regions of the country with the exception of
Akmola and South Kazakhstan regions, where production dropped 1% and 0.9%,
respectively. Growth was highest in West Kazakhstan region at 30.5%. The
increase was driven by an increase in the mining industry by 12.7%, an 8.9%
increase in the processing industry, and a 3.5% increase in the production and
distribution of electricity, gas, and water.
Production in the mining industry totalled 1.959 trillion tenge last year.
Output was up primarily due to an increase in production of gas condensate,
natural gas, oil, iron ore pellets, iron ore, and bituminous coal. Production
also increased for gold and chrome ore, granite and sandstone, chalk and
dolomite, sand and gravel, and phosphorus. Kazakhstan produced 50.581 million
tons of oil, up 11.5%, and 8.810 million tons of gas condensate, up 45% from
2003. Production of natural gas grew 53% to 11.590 billion cubic meters.
Commercial supplies of natural gas totalled 9.013 billion cubic meters, up 25.3%
from 2003.
Kazakhstan increased production of associated gas by 14% to 10.264 billion
cubic meters. Production of bituminous coal totalled 82.9 million tons and brown
coal production totalled 3.873 million tons, up 2.9% and down 10%, respectively.
Iron ore production totalled 20.3 million tons, up 5.3%, and iron ore pellet
production totalled 9.4 million tons, up 6.8%.
Production in the processing industry totalled 1.510 trillion tenge, with the
metallurgical industry and production of metal products accounting for 40% and
production of food products, including beverages and tobacco, accounting for
more than a quarter. Food and beverage production totalled 356 billion tenge, up
8.5% from 2003. Production of meat and byproducts, canned meat, sausage
products, fruit and vegetable juice, sunflower oil, butter and margarine, milk,
sugar, confectionery products, and pasta increased. Production of spirits grew
130%, mineral water and non-alcoholic beverage production grew 29.5%, cognac
production was up 27.8%, beer production grew 18.3%, and vodka production was up
11.9%.
Production in the metallurgical industry was up 4.1% to 628.2 billion tenge,
including 280.1 billion tenge in ferrous metallurgy and 307.1 billion tenge in
non-ferrous metallurgy. Ferrous metallurgy production grew 4.9% due to increased
production of pig iron (4.3 million tons, up 3.5%), steel (5.4 million tons, up
6.3%), ferroalloys (1.4 million tons, up 3.3%), and sheet (4.04 million tons, up
5.3%).
Non-ferrous metal production grew 3% mostly due to an increase in production
of alumina, unprocessed lead and zinc, blister copper and refined copper.
Production of alumina was up 3.4% to 1.468 million tons. Production of
unprocessed zinc grew 7.5% to 316,515 tons, and lead was up 17.9% to 157,000
tons. Production of refined copper totalled 445,230 tons, up 3% from 2003.
Production of blister copper totalled 444,500 tons, up 2.9%. Kazakhstan also
produced 9,579 kilograms of gold, down 3% from 2003, and 707,516 kilograms of
silver, down 12%.
The production of electricity totalled 66.8 billion kilowatt-hours, up 4.6%
from 2003. Production was up in all regions except Akmola, Atkyubinsk, Almaty,
East Kazakhstan, and Zhambyl regions and the city of Almaty. Production of heat
power was down 0.3% from 2003 due to a drop in production by enterprises in
Akmola, Aktyubinsk, Almaty, Atyrau, Karaganda, and North Kazakhstan regions, and
the city of Almaty. Water production totalled 2.3 billion cubic meters, up 5.7%
from 2003.
Agricultural production totalled 693.3 billion tenge in 2004, up 0.1% from
2003. Production in crop growing totalled 387.9 billion tenge, down 2.5%, and
production in livestock farming totalled 305.4 billion tenge, up 5.3%. The share
of crop production in total agricultural output dropped from 57% to 56% while
the share of livestock production grew from 43% to 44%. The area under crops
grew by 500,000 hectares to 18 million hectares. The area under grain grew by
2.9% but a dry summer in the northern regions resulted in a 16.3% drop in the
grain harvest to 12.4 million tons.
Meat production in live weight totalled 1.312 million tonnes, up 5.6%, milk
production totalled 4.515 million tonnes, up 5.5%, and egg production totalled
2.315 million eggs, up 1.7%. The number of livestock grew to 5.180 million head,
up 6.4%, including 2.374 million cows, up 4.7%. The number of sheep and goats
totalled 13.282 million head, up 8.5%, hogs totalled 1.341 million head, down
2%, horses totalled 1.110 million head, up 4.3%, camels totalled 123,000 head,
up 7%, and poultry totalled 25.480 million head, up 2.6%.
