As of March 1, the population of Kazakhstan amounted to 20,532.2 thousand people, which is 0.16% more compared to the beginning of the year, as reported by the national statistics bureau.
The highest population growth for January-February was observed in Astana – 0.99% and Shymkent – 0.49%.
According to data as of March 1, the population of Shymkent reached 1.3 million people. This megacity continues to grow actively due to a high birth rate and migration influx.
In the first two months of 2026, a positive migration balance was noted in three major cities, as well as in Akmolinsk and Almaty regions. The latter ranked second in the number of migrants after the capital, surpassing Almaty.
In other regions, the number of people leaving exceeds the number of incoming migrants.
In all regions except for three, natural population growth was recorded, meaning the number of births exceeds the number of deaths. In Eastern and Northern Kazakhstan, as well as in Kostanay region, the opposite process was noted – natural decline.
Due to high emigration, the population has decreased in half of the regions of the country. Ulytau, Abai, and North Kazakhstan region remain leaders in population decline.
In the cities of Kazakhstan, the population increased by 0.27% in the first two months of 2026, reaching 13,121 thousand people, while in rural areas it decreased by 0.05%, totaling 7,411 thousand people. The share of urban residents is 63.9%, while rural residents account for 36.1%.
