Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Ethnic Kazakhs derive from a mix of Turkic nomadic tribes that migrated to the region in the 15th century. The Russian Empire conquered the Kazakh steppe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1925. Forced agricultural collectivization led to repression and starvation, resulting in more than a million deaths in the early 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s, the agricultural "Virgin Lands" program generated an influx of settlers -- mostly ethnic Russians, but also other nationalities -- and by the time of Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, ethnic Kazakhs were a minority. However, non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs (from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and the Xinjiang region of China) to Kazakhstan. As a result of this shift, the ethnic Kazakh share of the population now exceeds two-thirds.
Kazakhstan's economy is the largest in Central Asia, mainly due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include diversifying the economy, attracting foreign direct investment, enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness, and strengthening economic relations with neighboring states and foreign powers.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 2,699,700 sq km
- Water
- 25,200 sq km
- Total
- 2,724,900 sq km
- Climate
- continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
- Terrain
- vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south
Land Use
- Other
- 19.3% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 1.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 79.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 11% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 68.3% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Qauyndy Oyysy -132 m
- Highest point
- Pik Khan-Tengri 7,010 m
note - the northern most 7,000 meter peak in the World - Mean elevation
- 387 m
- Irrigated land
- 17,794 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 13,364 km
- Border countries
- China 1,765 km; Kyrgyzstan 1,212 km; Russia 7,644 km; Turkmenistan 413 km; Uzbekistan 2,330 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty
- Geography note
- world's largest landlocked country and one of only two landlocked countries in the world that extends into two continents (the other is Azerbaijan); Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km (2,317 sq mi) of territory enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome
- Natural resources
- major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
- Area comparative
- slightly less than four times the size of Texas
- Geographic coordinates
- 48 00 N, 68 00 E
- Population distribution
- most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior; population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Salt water lake(s)
- Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Russia) - 374,000 sq km; Aral Sea (north) - 3,300 sq km; Ozero Alakol - 2,650 sq km; Ozero Teniz 1,590 sq km; Ozero Seletytenzi - 780 sq km; Ozero Sasykkol - 740 sq km
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Ozero Balkhash - 22,000 sq km; Ozero Zaysan - 1,800 sq km
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
- Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), Amu Darya (534,739 sq km), Syr Darya (782,617 sq km), Lake Balkash (510,015 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Syr Darya river mouth (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan) - 3,078 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Languages
- Note
- note: percentages are based on population that understands the spoken language
- Languages
- Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 80.1%, Russian 83.7%, English 35.1% (2021 est.)
- Major language sample(s)
Әлемдік деректер кітабы, негізгі ақпараттың таптырмайтын көзі. (Kazakh)
Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Muslim 69.3%, Christian 17.2% (Orthodox 17%, other 0.2%), Buddhism 0.1%, other 0.1%, non-believers 2.3%, unspecified 11% (2021 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.56 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 16.83 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 30 years
- Total
- 32.1 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 33.8 years
Population
- Male
- 9,902,303
- Total
- 20,432,662 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 10,530,359
Nationality
- Noun
- Kazakhstani(s)
- Adjective
- Kazakhstani
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 35.7% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 20.1% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 6.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 58.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 27.6% (male 2,883,200/female 2,712,772)
- 15 64 years
- 62.8% (male 6,233,881/female 6,486,019)
- 65 years and over
- 9.6% (2024 est.) (male 700,091/female 1,244,043)
- Ethnic groups
- Kazakh 71%, Russian 14.9%, Uzbek 3.3%, Ukrainian 1.9%, Uyghurs 1.5%, German 1.1%, Tatar 1.1%, other 4.9%, unspecified 0.3% (2023 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 15
- 0.2% (2015)
- Women married BY age 18
- 7% (2015)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 59.4 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 43.6 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 6.3 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 15.8 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 3.75 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 3.9% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 10.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 6.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.57 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: urban
- urban: 98% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 2% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 22% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.83% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.24 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior; population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 69 years
- Female
- 77.9 years
- Total population
- 73.3 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 10 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 3.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 1.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.987 million Almaty, 1.291 million NUR-SULTAN (capital), 1.155 million Shimkent (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 21% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 28.9 years (2019 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 63.8% (2021 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 14 years (2024 est.)
- Total
- 14 years (2024 est.)
- Female
- 14 years (2024 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a sky-blue background; the left side displays a national pattern called koshkar-muiz (the horns of the ram) in gold
meaning: the blue color has religious significance for the Turkic peoples and symbolizes cultural and ethnic unity, as well as sky and water; the sun stands for wealth and plenitude, with rays shaped like grain; the eagle has appeared on Kazakh tribal flags for centuries and represents freedom, power, and the flight to the future
Capital
- Name
- Astana
- Note
- note: founded in 1830 as Akmoly, the capital city became Akmolinsk in 1832, Tselinograd in 1961, Akmola (Aqmola) in 1992, Astana in 1998, and Nur-Sultan in 2019; the latest name change back to Astana in 2022 occurred just three and a half years after the city was renamed to honor a former president, who subsequently fell out of favor
- Etymology
- the name means "capital city" in Kazakh
- Time zone note
- On 1 March 2024, Kazakhstan moved from using two time zones to one
- Time difference
- UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 51 10 N, 71 25 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Kazakhstan
- Dual citizenship recognized
- no
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1937, 1978 (pre-independence), 1993; latest approved by referendum 30 August 1995, effective 5 September 1995
- Amendment process
- introduced by a referendum initiated by the president of the republic, on the recommendation of Parliament, or by the government; the president has the option of submitting draft amendments to Parliament or directly to a referendum; passage of amendments by Parliament requires four-fifths majority vote of both houses and the signature of the president; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote by more than one half of the voters in at least two thirds of the oblasts, major cities, and the capital, followed by the signature of the president
Country Name
- Former
- Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
- Etymology
- the name may derive from the Turkic word kazak, meaning "nomad;" the Persian suffix -stan means "place of" or "country"
- Local long form
- Qazaqstan Respublikasy
- Local short form
- Qazaqstan
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Kazakhstan
- Conventional short form
- Kazakhstan
- Independence
- 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- Legal system
- civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation
- Government type
- presidential republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the chairperson and 6 members)
- Subordinate courts
- regional and local courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council and confirmed by the Senate; judges normally serve until age 65 but can be extended to age 70; Constitutional Council - the president of the republic, the Senate chairperson, and the Mazhilis chairperson each appoints 2 members for a 6-year term; chairperson of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president for a 6-year term
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- the president appoints ministers based on the prime minister's recommendations; the president has veto power over all appointments and independently appoints the ministers of defense, internal affairs, and foreign affairs
- Chief of state
- President Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019)
- Election results
2024: Olzhas BEKTENOV elected as prime minister; 69-0 in parliament
2022: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 81.3%, Zhiguli DAYRABAEV (Auyl) 3.4%, Qaraqat or Karakat ÄBDEN (KÄQŪA) 2.6%, Meyram KAZHYKEN (Amanat) 2.5%, Nurlan AUYESBAYEV (NSDP) 2.2%, Saltanat TURSYNBEKOVA (QA-DJ) 2.1%, other 5.8%
2019: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 71%, Amirzhan KOSANOV (Ult Tagdyry) 16.2%, Daniya YESPAYEVA (Ak Zhol) 5.1%, other 7.7%- Head of government
- Prime Minister Olzhas BEKTENOV (since 6 February 2024)
- Most recent election date
- 20 November 2022
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a single 7-year term (prior to September 2022, the president of Kazakhstan could serve up to two 5-year terms; legislation reduced it to one 7-year term); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Mazhilis
- Expected date of next election
- 2029
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 16 December (1991)
- National color(s)
- blue, yellow
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 6 (3 cultural, 3 natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (c); Petroglyphs at Tanbaly (c); Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (n); Silk Roads: the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (c); Western Tien-Shan (n); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n)
- Political parties
- Ak Zhol Democratic Party or Ak Zhol
Amanat formerly Nur Otan
Auyl People's Democratic Patriotic Party or Auyl
Green Party of Kazakhstan orBaytaq
Nationwide Social Democratic Party or NSDP
People's Party of Kazakhstan or PPK
Respublica
Legislative Branch
- Legislature name
- Parliament (Parlament)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Menin Qazaqstanim" (My Kazakhstan)
- History
- adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics
- Lyrics/music
- Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV
- National symbol(s)
- golden eagle
- National coat of arms
- winning design from a competition held in 1992; the design uses the national colors of yellow and blue, with blue standing for the hope for unity, peace, and friendship with all people and gold for a clear future for the country’s population; a shanyrak (the upper dome-like portion of a yurt) represents familial well-being, peace, and calmness, with the circular shape standing for life and eternity; the winged horses, or tulpars, protect the shanyrak and symbolize bravery, prosperity, and inspiration
- Administrative divisions
- 17 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 4 cities* (qalalar, singular - qala); Abay (Semey), Almaty (Qonaev), Almaty*, Aqmola (Kokshetau), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan [West Kazakhstan] (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan [East Kazakhstan] (Oskemen), Shymkent*, Soltustik Qazaqstan [North Kazakhstan] (Petropavl), Turkistan, Ulytau (Zhezqazghan), Zhambyl (Taraz), Zhetisu (Taldyqorghan)
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- House of Representatives (Mazhilis)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 98 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- mixed system
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 3/19/2023
- Expected date of next election
- March 2028
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 18.4%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Amanat party (62); Auyl party (8); Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (6); Respublica (6); People's Party of Kazakhstan (5); Independents (7); Other (4)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate
- Term in office
- 6 years
- Number of seats
- 50 (40 indirectly elected; 10 appointed)
- Scope of elections
- partial renewal
- Most recent election date
- 1/14/2023
- Expected date of next election
- January 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 20%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 232-5845
- Chancery
- 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 232-5488
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Magzhan ILYASSOV (since 16 December 2025)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York, San Francisco
- Email address and website
washington@mfa.kz
https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-washington?lang=en
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [7] (7172) 54-09-14
- Embassy
- Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Avenue, No. 3, Astana 010010
- Telephone
- [7] (7172) 70-21-00
- Mailing address
- 2230 Astana Place, Washington DC 20521-2230
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador-designate Julie STUFFT; Chargé d'Affaires Deborah ROBINSON (since January 2025)
- Consulate(s) general
- Almaty
- Email address and website
USAKZ@state.gov
https://kz.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
KAZAKHSTAN · LOWER HOUSE
House of Representatives
98 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
98
Majority line
50
Largest party
Nur Otan
Parties
11
All political parties
Upper house
KAZAKHSTAN · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
50 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
50
Majority line
26
Largest party
Nur Otan
Parties
8
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Qasym-Jomart Toqaev
- Head of State
Älihan Smaiylov
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $44.25 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $47.247 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $92.1B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $93.822 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $90.926 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $91.908 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $74.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $60.439 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $72.723 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $74.246 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials
- Labor force
- 10.285 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 20.9%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2023
- 20.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- tenge (KZT) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 412.953 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 425.908 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 460.165 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 456.165 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 468.962 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $25.765 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- upper-middle-income Central Asian economy; robust growth due to rising oil production, expansion in manufacturing and services, rising domestic demand, and infrastructure investments; however, rapid growth contributing to high inflation rate; declining unemployment and poverty rates
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.8%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 4.9% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 4.9% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.8% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- China 16%, UK 15%, Russia 10%, Turkey 6%, Italy 5% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 28%, Russia 24%, Gambia, The 4%, Turkey 4%, USA 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $40,891
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $33,500 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $34,700 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $35,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.0%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 3.2% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 4.8% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- wheat, milk, barley, potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes/melons, sunflower seeds, maize, onions, tomatoes (2023)
- Exports commodities
- crude petroleum, gold, radioactive chemicals, refined copper, copper ore (2023)
- Imports commodities
- garments, cars, broadcasting equipment, vehicle bodies, packaged medicine (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$7.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $6.436 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$9.448 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$3.702 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 11.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $288.406 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 51.4% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 11.1% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 3.3% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 26.5% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 34.5% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -27.5% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 5.2% (2023 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 50.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 2.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 8.7%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 15% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 14.7% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 8.8% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 6.6% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $739.385 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $671.285 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $705.52 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $739.385 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 3% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 3.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 4.8% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $35.076 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $35.965 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $45.808 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 31.4% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 58.2% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 3.9% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 4.3% (2021 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 24.8% (2021 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021
- 29.2 (2021 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 34.043 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 114,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 120.279 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 86.349 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 25.605 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 1.955 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 30 billion barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 2.243 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 3.694 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 106.201 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 27.624 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 9.439 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 7.071 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 408.952 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 28.769 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 22.223 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 2.407 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear Energy
- Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
- 1 (2025)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 172.936 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 87.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 93% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- the state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks; there are 96 TV channels, and 4 state-run radio stations; some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; small number of commercial radio stations; all media outlets have to register with the government (2018)
- Internet country code
- .kz
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 2.574 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 13 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 26.2 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 127 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 3.59 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 18 (2023 est.)
Transport
- Airports
- 132 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 16,636 km (2021)
- Broad gauge
- 16,636 km (2021) 1.520-m gauge (4,237 km electrified)
- Heliports
- 32 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 122 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 3, oil tanker 7, other 112
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- UP
Environment
- Climate
- continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Land Use
- Other
- 19.3% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 1.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 79.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 11% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 68.3% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 58.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 17.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 184.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 1,903.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 781.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 4.66 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 3.8% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- radioactive or toxic chemical sites from former defense industries; severe industrial pollution in some cities; air and soil pollution (including dust storms) from chemical pesticides and natural salts left after two rivers were diverted; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals; salination from infrastructure and irrigation practices; water pollution; desertification
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 4.877 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 5.995 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Agricultural
- 14.264 billion cubic meters (2022)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 269.83 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 43.596 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 175.848 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 50.387 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 38.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 108.41 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the military’s principal responsibilities are territorial defense while the National Police, National Guard, Committee for National Security, and Border Service have primary responsibility for internal security, although the military may provide assistance if required; the military also participates in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, as well as regional exercises; in recent years, Kazakhstan has placed greater emphasis on regional military partnerships and equipment modernization and diversification in order to reduce reliance on Russia, its traditional security partner; other efforts to enhance the country’s security sector have included boosting the capabilities of the National Guard and improving military professionalism
Kazakhstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has obligated troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force; it also has had a relationship with NATO since 1992 focused on democratic, institutional, and defense reforms (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.4%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Land Forces (Army of Kazakhstan), Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces
Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police, National Guard
Committee for National Security (KNB): Border Guard Service (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- men 18-27 are subject to conscription for 12-24 months; conscripts may be assigned to the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Border Service, the State Security Service, or the Ministry of Emergency Situations; women may volunteer (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Kazakh military's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has sought to diversify to suppliers such as China, France, Israel, South Korea, and Türkiye; Kazakhstan has a defense industry capable of assembling or producing such items as naval vessels, combat vehicles, helicopters, and radar systems (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- available information varies widely; estimated 50,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 30,000 National Guard (2025)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- Baikonur Cosmodrome/Space Center (Baikonur) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- Aerospace Committee of the Kazakh Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry Ministry (aka National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan or KazCosmos; established 2007) (2025)
- Space program overview
- space program originated with the former Soviet Union; focuses on satellite acquisition and operation; builds (with foreign assistance) and operates communications, remote sensing (RS), and scientific satellites; building space infrastructure, such as launch and testing facilities, ground stations, and rocket manufacturing; has an astronaut (cosmonaut) program; has relations with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, and the UK; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station; has state-owned and private companies that assist with the country’s space program and work closely with foreign commercial entities (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 1991 - first Kazakh in space on the last Soviet Soyuz mission
2006 - first communications satellite (KazSat-1) built jointly with Italy and launched by Russia
2014 - first remote sensing satellite (KazEOSat-1) built by France and launched on European rocket
2024 - joined China-led lunar base project
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 0 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 66,152 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 7,865 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index28.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4137 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−2.2as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.13as of 2024-Q4125 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (17/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Kazakhstan — vintage 2026-Q1: Kazakhstan factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/kazakhstan
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata