Kyrgyzstan has seen an increase in poverty in the past two years. With increased unemployment and rising food prices, over a quarter of Kyrgyz people fall under the unemployment line.
Parents struggle to keep their families warm with gas stoves costing way above their budget. The type of heating used by the Kyrgyz is directly related to income; gas in Kyrgyzstan is considered a luxury, causing most residents to use coal. The Kyrgyzstan government sells coal to the citizens, which is usually bought by locals who sell it back to citizens at an increased price.
As a result of the immense amount of coal used in Kyrgyzstan, air quality in Kyrgyzstan is measured at being one of the worst in the world. The capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, had the worst air quality in the world in 2021.
“When you have nothing to feed your children and not enough money, the smog is the least of your worries,” explains a local Kyrgyz.
While locals of Kyrgyzstan recognize the horrible air quality, feeding and taking care of their children remains a priority. Nearly 750,000 children in Kyrgyzstan live in poverty, which is roughly one in three.
Poverty is only expected to increase as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, as tens of thousands of Russians have fled for Kyrgyzstan. The world bank estimates that poverty in Kyrgyzstan can increase from 10-12%.
Currently, hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz work in Russia. The revenue provided by these foreign workers produces about $2.4 billion for Kyrgyzstan’s economy, which is 30% of the country’s GDP. This $2.4 billion goes directly to supporting the 20 percent poorest households.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalates, income security provided by these foreign workers becomes increasingly unsteady as many Kyrgyz move back from Russia.
What is Kyrgyzstan doing to counteract its extreme poverty? One way Kyrgyzstan is trying to fight poverty is by enhancing the quality of education. In 2006 and 2009, the Program for International Student Assessment measured the quality of education in Kyrgyzstan and found the country scored very poorly.
The relation of poverty and education go hand and hand. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has concluded that if adults in poverty had finished only two more years of school, 420 million people would be lifted out of poverty.
Kyrgyzstan, comparable to other countries, is heavily investing in education in hopes of reducing poverty.
