Poverty level increases in Bishkek

Poverty level increased in Bishkek. Kanat Tilekeyev, Deputy Director of the Institute of Public Administration and Politics of the University of Central Asia, announced at the National Poverty and Inequality Development Forum, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg News Agency.

«Poverty has increased in the capital, and it remains persistently high — it is 35.7 percent, which is 3 percent higher than the republican level,» he said.

Kanat Tilekeyev added that the high level can be understood, for example, in Batken region. «There were border conflicts, there is very little productive land. People are forced to migrate; they have no other way to earn money,» he noted.

According to Kanat Tilekeyev, the poverty level in Osh is lower than in the capital — just over 20 percent.

«Osh region has approximately the same level. This is without taking into account income from migrants. If you take them out, poverty immediately increases by approximately 15 percent. This doesn’t happen in Bishkek,» he concluded.

According to the National Statistical Committee, in 2022 the poverty level in urban settlements increased by 0.7 percent compared to data in 2021. According to last year results, 34 percent of city residents live below the poverty line, in rural areas — 32.6 percent. The overall poverty level in the republic at the end of 2022 was 33.2 percent. This is 0.1 percent less than the 2021 level.