Kazakhstan’s Pharmaceutical Production Surges by 20.1% in First Half of 2024

Astana, The Gulf Observer: Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical industry experienced significant growth in the first half of 2024, with production reaching a value of 87.3 billion tenge, marking a 20.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to a report by NHC.

Shymkent continues to lead the nation’s pharmaceutical production, contributing 37.6 billion tenge, which accounts for 43% of Kazakhstan’s total output. Karaganda followed with 27.7 billion tenge in production, reflecting a remarkable 72% year-on-year increase. The Almaty region ranked third, producing pharmaceuticals worth 15.3 billion tenge, though this represented an 18.7% decline. Almaty city placed fourth with 10.5 billion tenge in production, a decrease of 21.01% from the previous year.

The sector’s growth was accompanied by a notable rise in imports. From January to May 2024, Kazakhstan imported 13,900 tons of medications valued at $785.8 million. This represents a 14.3% increase in physical terms and a 38.6% rise in monetary terms compared to the same period in the previous year.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) remained a significant source of imports, with 5,200 tons of medications worth $65 million entering Kazakhstan. Of this, 3,700 tons were imported from Russia, marking a 49.1% increase from the previous year. Belarus and Ukraine also emerged as key suppliers within the CIS.

Meanwhile, non-CIS countries contributed 8,700 tons of pharmaceuticals valued at $720.8 million. Notable suppliers included China with 1,400 tons, Germany and India with 1,200 tons each, France with 632,200 tons, and Türkiye with 582 tons.

Despite the growth in production and imports, the prices of medical drugs in Kazakhstan saw a modest increase of 0.5% on a monthly basis and 11.2% annually, reflecting the broader trends in the pharmaceutical market.