Number of women among labor migrants from Kyrgyzstan is growing

11:16, 22 октября 2025, Bishkek - 24-kg.com news agency , Baktygul OSMONALIEVA

Statistics on labor migration from Central Asian countries have revealed a shift from male-dominated trends to a growing female presence. These data are contained in a report by the International Organization for Migration.

It is noted that, driven by economic factors and changing traditional gender roles, more and more women in the region are leaving for other countries in search of income and stability.

According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which conducted the study, by mid-2024, there were approximately 540,000 migrants outside Kyrgyzstan, 55 percent of whom were women.

The geography of those seeking work outside their home country remains traditionally the same: Russia (57 percent), Kazakhstan (21 percent), and Turkey (10 percent).

According to the report, while the overall number of international migrants from Kyrgyzstan has decreased by 16 percent over the past decade, the proportion of women among them has increased from 53 percent in 2015 to 55 percent in 2024.

Migrant remittances continue to play a key role in the country’s economy. According to the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan, remittances totaled over $3 billion in 2023, equivalent to approximately 17 percent of the country’s GDP.

Last fall, 48,000 Kyrgyzstanis returned home, 28 percent of whom were women.

Experts have concluded that the growing number of female migrants is becoming not only a social but also an economic phenomenon, reflecting profound transformations within society.