Abstract
The discrepancy between economic growth and the population’s income level is becoming one of the key problems in the development of urban economies, as the expansion of production and business does not lead to an improvement in living standards. The purpose of the study is to identify the causes of uneven income growth across Kazakhstan’s cities and to determine the economic conditions that ensure their sustainable dynamics. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive analysis of indicator dynamics using an indicator system, calculation of relative changes, inter-city comparative analysis, and typologization based on thresholds. The empirical basis of the study was official statistical data for 17 cities of Kazakhstan for the period 2016–2024, including indicators of wages, employment, gross regional product, retail turnover, and population. The results showed significant differences in economic dynamics between cities. The highest values of the integral IED index were recorded in Astana (TotalMean = 44.98), Uralsk (23.67) and Shymkent (22.98), while negative values prevail in Karaganda (−11.71), Taraz (−9.77) and Kokshetau (−6.59). It has been established that steady income growth is driven mainly by cities with a developed labor market and an active consumer market, whereas output growth alone does not guarantee an increase in population well-being. The results confirm that the key factor in sustainable income growth is not the scale of economic activity, but the degree of its integration with employment and domestic demand.