Kazakhstan Tenge Exchange Rate History 2010-2026: Full Dataset
The Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) has lost approximately 68% of its value against the US dollar between 2010 and 2026, depreciating from 147.5 KZT/USD to 464.86 KZT/USD as of April 2026. Three structural events shaped this trajectory: the February 2014 devaluation (147 → 185 KZT/USD overnight), the August 2015 floating-rate adoption that triggered a slide to 255 KZT/USD by year-end and 383 KZT/USD by January 2016, and the 2022 Russia sanctions shock that briefly pushed tenge to 512 KZT/USD before stabilizing. This dataset provides annual snapshots plus key event dates, sourced from National Bank of Kazakhstan official rates.
Quick Facts
- Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT, ₸), introduced 15 November 1993
- 2010 USD/KZT: 147.5 → 2026 USD/KZT: 464.86 (loss ~68%)
- Three structural shocks: Feb 2014 devaluation, Aug 2015 floating rate, March 2022 war shock
- Peak intraday USD rate: ~520 KZT (March 2022, post-sanctions)
- Currency regime since 2015: Managed floating rate
- National Bank: National Bank of Kazakhstan (nationalbank.kz)
- Largest banknote: 20,000 KZT (~$43)
- Smallest banknote: 200 KZT (~$0.43)
- Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 tenge
- Best place to exchange in Almaty: licensed exchange points on Tole Bi or Auezov, NOT airport
Primary source: National Bank of Kazakhstan (nationalbank.kz). All rates verified against official daily fixings published by the National Bank.
Headline Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2010 January 1 USD rate | 147.5 KZT |
| 2026 April 26 USD rate | 464.86 KZT |
| 16-year depreciation vs USD | -68.3% |
| Single-day max devaluation | 11 February 2014 (one-day move ~25%) |
| Peak USD rate (intraday) | ~520 KZT (March 2022) |
| Floating rate adopted | 20 August 2015 |
| Current managed-float regime | Yes (since 2015) |
Tenge vs USD: Annual Snapshots 2010-2026
| Date | USD/KZT | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2010 | 147.5 | Pre-devaluation period |
| 1 Jan 2011 | 147.4 | Stable peg era |
| 1 Jan 2012 | 148.4 | |
| 1 Jan 2013 | 150.7 | |
| 1 Jan 2014 | 154.0 | Just before devaluation |
| 11 Feb 2014 | 184.5 | One-day devaluation +20% |
| 1 Jan 2015 | 182.4 | Post-2014 settlement |
| 20 Aug 2015 | 255.4 | Switch to floating rate, immediate slide |
| 1 Jan 2016 | 341.0 | Floating regime first months |
| 21 Jan 2016 | 383.5 | Peak after global oil crash 2015-2016 |
| 1 Jan 2017 | 333.3 | Recovery |
| 1 Jan 2018 | 332.3 | Stabilization |
| 1 Jan 2019 | 384.2 | Renewed depreciation |
| 1 Jan 2020 | 378.1 | |
| 1 Apr 2020 | 449.0 | COVID + oil crash spike |
| 1 Jan 2021 | 420.7 | |
| 1 Jan 2022 | 431.7 | |
| 8 Mar 2022 | ~512 | Ukraine war + sanctions on Russia spike |
| 1 Jan 2023 | 462.7 | Post-war stabilization |
| 1 Jan 2024 | 454.6 | |
| 1 Jan 2025 | 524.0 | Renewed pressure |
| 1 Jan 2026 | 478.0 | Easing |
| 26 Apr 2026 | 464.86 | Current |
Key Currency Events Explained
February 2014 Devaluation
On 11 February 2014, the National Bank of Kazakhstan abandoned the previous narrow trading corridor and effectively devalued the tenge by ~20% in one day, from 155 to 185 KZT/USD. This was a deliberate policy decision driven by:
- Ruble weakening (Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner)
- Falling oil prices
- Pressure on hard-currency reserves
Impact: Households and businesses with USD-denominated loans faced immediate hardship. Inflation spiked to 7.4% in 2014.
August 2015 Floating Rate
On 20 August 2015, the National Bank announced a transition to a free-floating exchange rate for the tenge, abandoning attempts to defend a target rate. The tenge immediately weakened from ~185 KZT/USD to ~255 KZT/USD within days, and continued to ~383 KZT/USD by January 2016 amid the global oil crash.
Impact: Inflation hit 13.6% in 2015 and 8.5% in 2016. The Kazakh National Fund used $14 billion in oil savings to cushion the transition. Tourist spending in Kazakhstan became 30-40% cheaper for foreigners.
March 2022 Russia Sanctions Shock
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and the rapid imposition of Western sanctions on Russia, the tenge briefly spiked toward 520 KZT/USD on 8 March 2022 before recovering as Kazakhstan distanced its currency from the ruble’s collapse.
Impact: Ruble parity collapsed (ruble fell to 4.10 KZT temporarily before recovering to 6+). Russian relocants brought significant capital into Kazakhstan. Tenge stabilized to 462 KZT/USD by year-end 2022.
Tenge vs Other Major Currencies
EUR/KZT
EUR/KZT trajectory mirrors USD/KZT but with European-specific factors. From ~212 KZT/EUR in 2010 to ~544 KZT/EUR in April 2026, a -61% depreciation.
RUB/KZT (Russian Ruble)
The most important regional rate. Generally hovered between 4.5-6.0 KZT/RUB through the period, with sharp volatility:
- 2014-2015 ruble crisis: KZT rose vs RUB temporarily
- 2022 Ukraine war: RUB collapsed temporarily (4.10 KZT/RUB on 8 March 2022) before recovering to 5.5-6.0 range
CNY/KZT (Chinese Yuan)
Steady appreciation reflecting Yuan strength and KZT weakness. From ~21.6 KZT/CNY in 2010 to ~64.05 KZT/CNY in April 2026.
Inflation Context
Tenge depreciation correlates with inflation. Annual CPI:
| Year | Inflation (CPI) |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.1% |
| 2014 | 7.4% (post-devaluation) |
| 2015 | 13.6% (floating rate) |
| 2016 | 8.5% |
| 2017 | 7.1% |
| 2020 | 7.5% |
| 2021 | 8.4% |
| 2022 | 20.3% (war impact) |
| 2023 | 9.8% |
| 2024 | 8.6% |
| 2025 | 11.0% |
| Mar 2026 | 11.0% YoY |
Source: stat.gov.kz monthly inflation publications.
What Drives Tenge Movements
| Factor | Direction | Impact magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Crude oil price (Brent) | Higher oil → stronger KZT | Large (oil = 60%+ of exports) |
| US dollar global strength (DXY) | Higher DXY → weaker KZT | Large |
| Russian ruble | Weaker RUB → weaker KZT | Medium-large (regional contagion) |
| Kazakhstan inflation differential | Higher KZ inflation → weaker KZT | Medium |
| National Bank intervention | Active management of slope | Variable |
| National Fund (Samruk-Kazyna) deployments | Reserve usage | Large at moments |
Implications for Travelers and Foreign Residents
For tourists and foreign residents, KZT depreciation has made Kazakhstan progressively cheaper:
| Year | $100 USD = | Effective traveler cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 14,750 KZT | Premium hotel night |
| 2015 | 18,240 → 25,540 KZT | Premium dinner for 4 |
| 2020 | 37,810 KZT | 3 nights mid-range hotel |
| 2026 | 46,486 KZT | 5 nights mid-range hotel |
A foreign visitor in 2026 has 3.1× more spending power per USD than in 2010.
Downloadable Dataset
📥 Download kazakhstan-tenge-exchange-history.csv (3 KB)
Schema (columns):
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
date | YYYY-MM-DD date of rate observation |
USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, CNY | Exchange rate (KZT per 1 unit of currency) |
event | Notable event explaining significant rate moves |
License: Open access for journalistic, academic, financial analysis and commercial use with attribution: “Source: about-kazakhstan.com (compiled from National Bank of Kazakhstan, verified April 2026).”
Methodology and Verification
Rate data primarily compiled from:
- National Bank of Kazakhstan (nationalbank.kz) — daily official market rates
- Cross-referenced with archived snapshots via Wayback Machine for historical years
- Event narratives verified against Astana Times, Kursiv.kz, Reuters Kazakhstan coverage
- Inflation data from stat.gov.kz CPI publications
Update commitment: Annual update with current year January 1 rate. Major rate events (>5% in week) trigger interim update.
Known limitations:
- Annual snapshots only; daily granularity available from National Bank API for analyst use
- Some 2014-2016 dates approximated to nearest published rate
- 2027 rates will be added when available
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much has the Kazakhstan tenge depreciated since 2010?
- The Kazakhstani tenge has depreciated approximately 68% against the US dollar between 1 January 2010 (147.5 KZT/USD) and 26 April 2026 (464.86 KZT/USD). The depreciation was concentrated in three major events: the February 2014 devaluation (+20% in one day), the August 2015 transition to floating rate (drove tenge from 185 to 383 KZT/USD over 5 months), and the March 2022 Russia sanctions shock (briefly spiked toward 520 before recovering).
- When did Kazakhstan adopt a floating exchange rate?
- Kazakhstan adopted a free-floating exchange rate for the tenge on 20 August 2015. Before this date, the National Bank actively managed the rate within a narrow target corridor. The transition was prompted by the global oil price collapse, ruble weakening, and depleted hard-currency reserves used to defend the previous rate. Within months the tenge slid from 185 to 383 KZT/USD.
- What was the 2014 tenge devaluation?
- On 11 February 2014 the National Bank of Kazakhstan deliberately devalued the tenge by approximately 20% in one day, from ~155 to ~185 KZT/USD. This was driven by ruble weakening, falling oil prices, and pressure on hard-currency reserves. The devaluation caused immediate hardship for households and businesses with USD-denominated loans, and inflation spiked to 7.4% that year.
- How did the Ukraine war affect the tenge in 2022?
- Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and Western sanctions on Russia, the Kazakhstani tenge briefly spiked from 432 KZT/USD on 1 January 2022 to approximately 512 KZT/USD on 8 March 2022. The tenge later stabilized at 462 KZT/USD by year-end 2022 as Kazakhstan distanced its monetary policy from Russia. Inflation hit 20.3% in 2022, the highest in over a decade.
- What is the tenge to dollar rate today (April 2026)?
- The official Kazakhstan tenge to US dollar exchange rate on 26 April 2026 was 464.86 KZT per 1 USD according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan. Other key rates same date: 1 EUR = 544.03 KZT, 1 GBP = 627.24 KZT, 1 RUB = 6.14 KZT, 1 CNY = 64.05 KZT. Daily official rates are published at nationalbank.kz.
- Where can I download Kazakhstan tenge exchange rate history as CSV?
- A complete CSV dataset of Kazakhstan tenge KZT exchange rate history from 2010 to 2026 covering USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, CNY rates with key event annotations is available at about-kazakhstan.com/datasets/kazakhstan-tenge-exchange-history.csv. Open access with attribution. Compiled from National Bank of Kazakhstan official daily fixings, verified April 2026.
Last verified: 27 April 2026. Primary source: National Bank of Kazakhstan. Annual refresh with January 1 rates.
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