Kazakhstan’s Population Surpasses 20.4 Million Amid Ongoing Urbanization
Kazakhstan’s population reached 20,478,879 as of Dec. 1, 2025, according to data released by the Bureau of National Statistics. Since the beginning of the year, the population has increased by 195,480 people, up from 20,283,399 recorded on Jan. 1, 2025.
Population growth remains concentrated in major cities and southern regions. Almaty continues to be the country’s most populous city, with 2,345,012 residents, followed by the Turkistan Region with 2,148,168 people. Astana ranks third, with a population of 1,630,640, while the Almaty Region accounts for 1,592,652 residents.
Several other regions and cities exceed the one-million population threshold, including Shymkent (1,291,011), the Zhambyl Region (1,215,892), and the Karagandy Region (1,131,438), according to the report published on Jan. 5.
At the same time, population density remains low in several regions. The Ulytau Region has the smallest population, at 219,200 people, followed by the North Kazakhstan Region with 514,732 residents and the Abai Region with 596,000.
As of Dec. 1, 13,013,064 people reside in urban areas, while 7,465,815 live in rural settlements, reflecting the continued trend toward urbanization.
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