Kyrgyz Republic

Economic Overview

Kyrgyzstan is a country with a dominant agricultural sector. Cotton, tobacco, wool and meat are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported in any significant quantity.

Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas and electricity. The economy depends heavily on gold exports – mainly from output at the Kumtor gold mine and on remittances from Kyrgyzstani migrant workers in Russia.

The latest government has developed a plan for economic development in coordination with its international donors, and has also expressed its intent to join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Composition of GDP

• Services: 44.8%
• Industry: 34.4%
• Agriculture: 20.8%

Exports

Gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat, tobacco, mercury, uranium, electricity, machinery and shoes.

Imports

Oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals and foodstuffs.

Principal trading partners – exports

• Kazakhstan: 26.2%
• Uzbekistan: 26.1%
• Russia: 14.6%
• China: 7%
• UAE: 6.1%
• Afghanistan: 5.2%

Principal trading partners – imports

• China: 55.2%
• Russia: 17.4%
• Kazakhstan: 7.9%

Exchange controls

The Kyrgyz Republic has a liberal exchange system, and there are generally no restrictions on converting or transferring funds into freely-usable currency and at the legal, market-clearing rate.

Foreign exchange is widely available, and the local currency, the Kyrgyzstani som (KGS), is freely convertible at banks and exchange offices.

Ports and terminals: N/a (Landlocked) – Cargo can be routed via Baltic ports (Riga, Tallinn, Klaipeda)