Abstract
This study examines the association between digital transformation and international transit freight performance in Kazakhstan. A balanced bilateral panel of 209 country pairs observed annually over 2013–2024 yields 2,508 observations drawn from official origin-destination transit freight statistics. Two digital transformation indicators are analysed: the annual share of internet users in Kazakhstan as a continuous digital connectivity measure, and a binary post-2018 dummy variable corresponding to the Digital Kazakhstan State Programme. A Random Effects panel model with cluster-robust standard errors is employed; the Hausman specification test confirms model selection. Both indicators are positively and significantly associated with bilateral transit freight volumes. A one-percentage-point increase in internet penetration is associated with approximately 1.2% higher transit freight volume, while the post-2018 period is associated with transit volumes approximately 58% higher than the pre-2018 baseline. Results are robust to multicollinearity diagnostics. The study provides the first panel econometric evidence linking digital transformation to international transit freight volumes in Kazakhstan, extending the descriptive literature with quantitative bilateral panel estimates and offering empirically grounded support for digital infrastructure investment as a pillar of Kazakhstan's transit competitiveness strategy.