Which foods became cheaper in Kazakhstan in the week to September 23

Prices for some socially important foods in Kazakhstan fell in the week ending September 23, 2026. The Bureau of National Statistics recorded the largest change for onions, down 4.3%. A single weekly reading still needs careful interpretation: it shows movement in a defined list of goods rather than a family’s entire budget.

What became cheaper during the week

The release lists eight items whose average prices declined:

Prices for lamb, cottage cheese, and cabbage did not change during the reporting week. The Bureau’s release also lists whole chickens as a separate unchanged item; that category should not be confused with chicken meat, whose price declined by 0.5%.

A national average is not every shop’s price

The national average for onions was 142 tenge per kilogram. Among observed cities, the lowest average was recorded in Taldykorgan at 107 tenge. Carrots averaged 215 tenge nationally, with the lowest city figure in Pavlodar at 140 tenge.

Apples averaged 727 tenge, compared with 554 tenge in Shymkent. Tomatoes averaged 668 tenge per kilogram nationally. The lowest city figures were 412 tenge in Taraz and 416 tenge in Turkistan.

These are aggregated observations. A shopper may see a different price because of variety, quality, shop format, neighborhood, promotion, or time of purchase. A sound personal comparison uses the same product, comparable outlets, and repeated observations.

Where the overall index declined

Among the cities observed, the weekly index for socially important foods fell by 0.4% in Karaganda, 0.2% in Aktobe and Zhezkazgan, and 0.1% in Turkistan.

The measure was unchanged from the previous week in Astana, Almaty, Kokshetau, Shymkent, Konayev, Pavlodar, and Semey. An unchanged index does not mean every product held the same price: increases in some items may have been offset by declines in others.

What the indicator measures

Kazakhstan’s list of socially important foods contains 31 items. The Bureau calculates the index every week from observations in regional capitals, cities of national significance, and the national capital.

The indicator has a specific job: it provides a quick view of changes in staple food prices. It does not include rent, utilities, transport, clothing, medicine, and many other costs. It therefore cannot show that overall inflation fell by the same percentages or that every household’s expenses decreased.

Seasonal harvests, deliveries, and retail inventories can move fruit and vegetable prices quickly. Distinguishing a durable trend from a short seasonal decline requires several weeks of observations and comparison with the broader consumer price index.

How a household can use the data

One practical approach is to keep a small personal basket of frequently purchased goods. Record the price, weight, shop, and date. After four weeks, you can see whether your own pattern resembles the national index and which items have the largest effect on your spending.

Weekly statistics are useful as a benchmark and a prompt to compare offers. They are not a promise that every store will charge the same amount. The next release will show whether the decline continued after September 23.

Source

• Bureau of National Statistics: socially important food prices as of September 23, 2026

All percentages and average prices come from the official weekly release. Explanations of the indicator’s limits are editorial analysis.