Large Families in Kazakhstan Are Cutting Back on Food
A new study by analysts at Finprom.kz highlights a concerning trend: in Kazakhstan, food consumption declines as the number of children in a household increases, while the gap between low- and high-income families continues to widen. Drawing on data from the National Statistics Bureau for the fourth quarter of last year, the analysts found a clear pattern: per capita food consumption decreases as family size grows. In households with one child, per capita consumption of meat and meat products stands at 21.8 kg per quarter. In families with four children, this figure falls to 14.8 kg, roughly one-third lower. A similar pattern is evident across other food categories. In larger families, fish consumption is 33.4% lower, dairy products 26.4% lower, fruit 26% lower, and confectionery 22.8% lower. In households with five or more children, the disparities are even more pronounced. Year-on-year data show that the situation is deteriorating in families with four children, where consumption of staple foods continues to decline. Meat consumption fell by 3.2% (around 0.5 kg per person), fish by 5.6%, dairy products by 2%, and potatoes by 7.6%. By contrast, average consumption across Kazakhstan has not declined. On the contrary, overall food intake has increased slightly, suggesting that the negative trend is concentrated among larger, lower-income households. The disparity is particularly stark when comparing the wealthiest 10% of households with the poorest 10%. In the fourth quarter of last year, higher-income households increased consumption across most categories: meat by 3.8%, dairy products by 1.8%, eggs by 6%, and vegetables by 3.4%. Consumption of higher-cost items also rose, including fish and seafood (up 8%), oils and fats (up 10.8%), and confectionery (up 11.9%). In contrast, low-income households reduced consumption in several categories during the fourth quarter of 2025: fish and seafood fell by 11.9%, vegetable oils by 11.3%, and bread and cereals by 4.3%. Modest increases in some items, such as dairy products and eggs, did not offset the overall decline. Meat consumption illustrates the disparity most clearly. In higher-income households, per capita consumption rose from just over 25 kg to around 30 kg per quarter. In low-income households, it remains at approximately 10 kg. For comparison, the recommended daily intake for adults is about 150 grams, or roughly 18 kg per quarter. This suggests that lower-income groups consume significantly less than recommended levels. Overall, the gap between affluent and low-income households is substantial: nearly threefold for meat consumption, 2.4 times for dairy products, and 18.8% for bread and cereals.
