Abstract

This article examines the current state of the family institution in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the influence of five legislative acts: the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Housing Relations” (1997), the Social Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023), the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Marriage (Matrimony) and Family” (2011), the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Education” (2007), and Order No. 257 of the Minister of Labour and Social Protection (2023).
The object of the study is the system of state support instruments aimed at single-parent families within these acts, including Targeted Social Assistance (TSA), survivor benefits, housing assistance, and the “Bakytty Otbasy” program. The study examines whether the legislative consolidation of the concept of a “single-parent family” may have an indirect incentivizing effect on divorce dynamics, particularly through the regulatory consolidation of the legally distinct statuses of “widow,” “divorced woman,” and “single mother” under a single category.
The research integrates three methodological components: (1) formal legal analysis of the five legislative acts and their cumulative incentive effects; (2) descriptive statistics and comparative analysis of data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (BNS RK) for 2022–2025 and comparable trends in the North Caucasus regions of the Russian Federation; and (3) normative-ethical analysis drawing on Islamic law and Kazakh customary law as a comparative framework.
The authors acknowledge that rising divorce rates cannot be attributed solely to social policy. Indirect indicators suggesting a possible incentivizing effect are identified as a cautious hypothesis requiring further verification through micro-level data analysis. The article concludes with recommendations for revising social support programs and introducing reconciliation mechanisms for spouses.