ALMATY, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan's e-commerce sector has surged sevenfold over the past five years, reaching 3.2 trillion tenge (about 6.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said, the country's Kazinform news agency reported Wednesday.

E-commerce now accounts for 14.1 percent of the country's total trade, up from 476 billion tenge (about 918 million U.S. dollars) in 2020, he said in response to a parliamentary inquiry.

While online trade is growing rapidly, many consumers still prefer offline shopping due to concerns over fraud and digital trust, he noted.

Kazakhstan currently hosts 104 e-commerce platforms, including Kaspi.kz, Wildberries, Ozon and Halyk Market.

Zhumangarin highlighted strong investment in logistics infrastructure. Kazpost is building 85,000 square meters of warehouse space in Almaty, Aktobe and Turkistan. Wildberries and Ozon are also expanding with major new logistics centers in Almaty and Astana.

He also noted that international payment providers Visa and Mastercard have introduced new tools powered by artificial intelligence to enhance security and improve online shopping experience. ■