General

The Kyrgyz Republic is land-locked and spans 199,951 square kilometres of rugged terrain, bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China.

The Kyrgyz ethnic group (78 per cent), alongside Uzbeks (14 per cent), Russians (4 per cent) and other ethnic minority communities, contribute to the vibrant tapestry of Kyrgyz culture and traditions, including nomadic.

The Kyrgyz Republic has a population of over 6.5 million people, which is predominantly rural.  The population is youthful, with 34 per cent of the population under the age of 15 years.

Both Kyrgyz and Russian are the official languages. Approximately 90 per cent of the population professes the Muslim faith – primarily Sunni – and 7 per cent are Christian.

Much of present-day Kyrgyz Republic territory was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1876. The Kyrgyz Republic became a Soviet republic in 1926 and became independent at the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

The Kyrgyz Republic is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Political Overview

The Kyrgyz Republic has a presidential republic system of government, with the president serving as both head of state and head of government as well as being the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.  The move from a parliamentary to a presidential system was approved in a 2021 referendum, with the power of the presidency strengthened.

The Kyrgyz Republic's first two presidents, Askar Akayev and Kurmanbek Bakiyev, were both ousted. The 2005 parliamentary election was accompanied by widespread protests leading to the Tulip Revolution in which President Akayev was overthrown. In 2010, following widespread civil unrest against corruption and rising living costs, involving many deaths and injuries in clashes with the authorities and the arrest of a prominent opposition figure, President Bakiyev withdrew from Bishkek (later receiving asylum in Belarus) and an interim government was formed under opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva (Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan).

Almazbek Atambayev was sworn in as president following 2011 elections and became the first president to serve a full term and step down at the end of his term in 2017. Former prime minister and ruling Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan member Sooronbay Jeenbekov won the 2017 presidential election. Jeenbekov resigned as president in 2020 following widespread protests against parliamentary election results. Previously imprisoned Sadyr Japarov became acting president then was formally elected in a landslide in 2021. Political unrest continues following allegations of voting irregularities in the 2021 legislative elections.

Economic Overview

The Kyrgyz Republic's GDP reached USD 13.7 billion in 2023. It has rich endowments of minerals, forests, arable land and pastures, and has potential for expansion of hydroelectric production, agriculture and tourism.

The Kyrgyz economy is dependent on the agricultural sector, with cotton and tobacco accounting for its two largest goods exports. Mining, including gold and coal, also plays an important role. All mining operations are state-owned.

The Kyrgyz Republic has the lowest GDP per capita of the Central Asian states, and approximately 20 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line. Remittances from its overseas workers, who primarily work in Russia and Kazakhstan, play a pivotal role in the Kyrgyz Republic's economy; remittances account for approximately 30 per cent of the nation's GDP.

Australia's Relationship with the Kyrgyz Republic

Australia and the Kyrgyz Republic have a very modest economic relationship. Two-way goods and services trade with the Kyrgyz Republic in 2022-23 was worth $9.5 million, growing at an average of 9.6 per cent a year over the previous five years. Australia's exports to the Kyrgyz Republic were $7.3 million and imports from the Kyrgyz Republic were $2.2 million.

Australia established diplomatic relations with the Kyrgyz Republic in December 1991. The Australian Ambassador to the Russian Federation holds non-resident accreditation to the Kyrgyz Republic. The Kyrgyz Republic's Ambassador to Japan holds non-resident accreditation to Australia.