Kazakhstan's cost of living gloom

Despite solid growth on paper, inflationary pressures and a controlled narrative are eroding public trust and optimism, leaving the government walking a tightrope between stability and discontent.

Trips to the supermarket in Kazakhstan keep getting ever more painful.

On paper, the economy of Kazakhstan is in decent health.

The headline figure of 4-plus percent growth would gladden the heart of almost any leader in Europe or the United States.

Why, then, do things feel so terribly glum?

In a sweeping interview given at the start of the year, President…