Financial Levers to Reduce Social Inequality in Kazakhstan

The article examines the current problems of growing social inequality in Kazakhstan, reveals its causes and outlines ways to overcome it. The purpose of the study is to develop recommendations for overcoming income inequality in Kazakhstan based on an assessment of its level and factors. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of the depth and severity of poverty in Kazakhstan. The article proves the bias of the statistical assessment of poverty, presents calculations using the methodology of the World Bank. The research uses methods of comparative, statistical analysis, a systematic approach, methods of empirical and expert assessment. Digital data from the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan and the World Bank were used to conduct the study. Based on the analysis, conclusions are drawn about the growing social inequality, which is expressed in income polarization between rich and poor. It is proved that social inequality increases in conditions of rising inflation. The assessment of the poverty level based on the subsistence level and the consumer basket is outdated and does not meet the requirements of modern realities. This exacerbates poverty and misery, demonstrates the inefficiency of state social policy, its inconsistency with market mechanisms. The problem of regional differentiation has a special impact on inequality, which is expressed in a significant gap between indicators in different regions of the republic. Based on the analysis, recommendations are made to overcome social inequality based on the introduction of a progressive income tax scale, strengthening tax incentives for business activation, improving the methodology for assessing poverty and social benefits.