Population of Kazakhstan

Main article: Kazakhstan

Population

2024: The population of Kazakhstan for the year increased to 20.29 million people

By the end of 2024, the population of Kazakhstan reached 20.29 million people. For comparison, a year earlier this figure was 20.03 million. Thus, an increase of 1.3% was noted. This is stated in the materials of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, with which TAdviser got acquainted in early March 2025.

As of January 1, 2025, the urban population of Kazakhstan was about 12.77 million people, or 63% of the total number of residents of the republic. Another approximately 7.51 million people, or 37%, are rural. 9.91 million men and 10.37 million women live in Kazakhstan, which corresponds to shares of 48.9% and 51.1%, respectively.

The largest share of the urban population was recorded in Karaganda (82.0%), Ұlytau (79.4%) and Aktobe (75.6%) regions, the smallest - in Almaty (19.4%), Turkestan (25.1%) and Zhambyl (43.8%) regions. In general, the distribution of the population by region of the Republic of Kazakhstan is as follows:

• The city Almaty - 2,292,333 people;
• Turkestan region - 2,154,334 people;
• Almaty region - 1,560,377 people;
• The city Astana - 1,528,887 people;
• The city of Shymkent - 1,256,263 people;
• Zhambyl region - 1,222,513 people;
• Karaganda region - 1,133,984 people;
• Aktobe region - 949,601 people;
• Kyzylorda region - 846,336 people;
• Kostanay region - 825,597 people;
• Mangystau region - 805,363 people;
• Akmola region - 787,778 people;
• Pavlodar region - 751,038 people;
• East Kazakhstan region - 723,980 people;
• Atyrau region - 710,876 people;
• West Kazakhstan region - 696,058 people;
• Zhetіsu - 694,400 people;
• The city of Abai - 602,882 people;
• North Kazakhstan region - 522,167 people;
• Ұlytau - 221,317 people.^[1]

2018: Population growth since 1989 by 12% to 18.3 million

Migration

Digital nomad visa launched in Kazakhstan

On November 1, 2024, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan announced the launch of a new type of Neo Nomad visa intended for foreign specialists working remotely and combining work with travel. The visa regime has been developed taking into account the experience of more than 50 countries that have implemented similar programs. Read more here.

2024: Since 1991, 1.13 million ethnic Kazakhs have arrived in Kazakhstan. Most from Uzbekistan and China

Kazakhstan The policy is being pursued to attract Kazakhs to their historical homeland. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, 10,134 ethnic Kazakhs arrived in the country in the first half of 2024, and since 1991 - 1 million 138.5 thousand.

In the first half of 2024, almost half of the oralmans (or Kazakh қandas) arrived from China, in second place is Uzbekistan, in total they account for more than 80%.

At the same time, immigrants go to the northern regions of Kazakhstan, where a high proportion of Russians and the generally non-Kazakh population (Germans, Tatars, etc.) remain. For the resettlement of oralmans, such labor-deficient regions as Akmola, Kostanay, Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan regions and the Abai region were identified.

The state is pursuing a systematic policy of Kazakhstanization of the country, aiming at potentially disloyal regions.

2021: Net outflow over 4 years

National composition

Russians

Notes