About Kazakhstan
Kazakh (Qazaq) - the official state language, understood by ~80.1% of the population.
Russian - has official status as the language of interethnic communication, understood by ~83.7% of the population.
English is understood by ~35.1%, reflecting growing foreign-language education.
Kazakh is the official state language of Kazakhstan, with Russian holding official status for interethnic communication.
| Geography |
Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Russia and Uzbekistan; the world's largest landlocked country
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 2,724,900-2,724,910 sq km (9th largest country in the world)
Land boundaries:
border countries: China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
| People |
Population: 20,432,662-20,590,000 (2025-2026 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.5%
15-64 years: 62.0%
65 years and over: 8.5% (2023 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.3 years
male: 69 years
female: 77.9 years (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Kazakhstani(s)/Kazakh(s)
Ethnic groups: Kazakh 71-71.5%, Russian 14.9%, Uzbek 3.3%, Ukrainian 1.9%, Uyghur 1.5%, German 1.1%, Tatar 1.1%, other 4.9% (2023 est.)
Religions: predominantly Muslim, with a significant Russian Orthodox Christian minority
Languages: Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 80.1%, Russian 83.7%, English 35.1% (2021 est.; percentages based on population that understands the spoken language)
| Government |
Country name:
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
Data code: KZ
Government type: presidential republic
National capital: Astana (formerly Nur-Sultan, formerly Akmola)
Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
| Economy |
Economy - overview: upper-middle-income, developing Central Asian economy; largest economy in the region, heavily reliant on oil, gas, and mineral exports; strong trade ties with China and Russia via regional trade blocs (EAEU, SCO)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $993.672 billion (2026f)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.6% (2025)
GDP - per capita: $48,250 PPP (2026f)
Inflation rate: 10.7% (2026f)
Unemployment rate: 4.8% (2025 est.)
Labor force: 9,262,539 (2019)
Population below poverty line: 2.5% (2017)
Currency: Tenge (KZT)
| Military |
Military branches: Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police, National Guard; Committee for National Security: Border Guard Service (2025)
Military manpower: estimated 50,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 30,000 National Guard (2025)