Economy

Quite recently the Kurgan Oblast has begun developing very rapidly. The Oblast took first place in the Urals Federal District in terms of the economic growth rate in the first half of 2008. The amount of housing constructed was 282 thousand square metres which is 145% of the previous year's levels.

The 2008 gross regional product is estimated to have exceeded 100 billion roubles. The growth rate compared to the previous year was 104%.

Services are dominating the structure of the Gross Regional Product amounting to 41.9%, processing industry takes 16.1%, and agriculture is next with 15.8%.

Agriculture

The Oblast is specialised in food production and processing In terms of the amounts of agricultural products produced per capita the agricultural complex of the Oblast takes leading places amongst the subjects of the Russian Federation. The Oblast takes - in terms of the production of grain - 5th place in Russia, vegetables - 6th, milk - 18th, potatoes - 20th, and meat - 36th. The natural conditions and the available human resources allow for the successful development of the diverse agriculture and for the production of high quality ecologically sound food products and raw materials for the food processing industry.
The efficiency of financing the agriculture is the highest in the Urals - 1 rouble of the Oblast budget money spent results in the production of 53 roubles worth of agricultural products. For the comparison sake this figure in the Chelyabinsk Oblast is 24 roubles, in the Sverdlovsk Oblast - 13.

The agriculture of the Oblast is amongst the best developed in Russia.

The potential for the development of agriculture is simply huge. It would be enough to mention that all present production volumes are no more than 50% of the 1990 levels. At the same time the Kurgan Oblast retained significant land, labour, and material resources. The region has a well developed food processing industry (meat processing facilities, grain mill combines, creameries, dry milk plants) - the total of more than 400 companies. The OAO Shadrinsk Dairy Canning Plant is the biggest.

Industrial production

The majority of industrial production facilities works for the defence industry while also producing non-military products. The Oblast produces 30% of Russian fire engines, more than 30% of antibiotics, 21% of steel bridge constructions, almost 30% of buses. Amongst the leaders we find OAO Kurganmashzavod which makes civilian amphibian snow and marsh vehicles and almost 30 types of timber processing equipment. Water and fuel tanker trucks made by OAO Dalmatovo Plant "Start" are used all over Russia and in other countries.

Energy

The Kurgan power plant gives the industrial development of the region a further momentum. The first train of the plant will be started up in 2009, the second train - in 2010. The total investment into the construction amounts to 220 billion roubles.

International economic activities

In 2008 companies based in the Kurgan Oblast carried out trade operations with more than 40 countries - the turnover amounted to $603 million (not counting Byelarus). Countries outside the CIS took 27.7% of the total turnover ($166.8 million), the CIS countries - 72.3% ($436.2 million).
Imports amounted to 61.8% of the foreign trade turnover ($372.7 million).
The following countries are the most significant trade partners of the Oblast: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Germany, Ukraine, Kyrgyzia, Tajikistan, and China.