Kazakhstan's Population Grows Fivefold Over the Past Century

Kazakhstan's population has grown fivefold over the past century, rising from 4.3 million in 1897 to 20.3 million as of June 1, 2025, according to the Bureau of National Statistics.

he first general census of the Russian Empire in 1897 recorded 4.3 million people living in territories that would later form the Soviet Kazakhstan, including 3.5 million ethnic Kazakhs, The Caspian Post reports citing Kazakh media.

Kazakhstan’s population has grown significantly over the past century, with key milestones marking its demographic journey.

In 1913, the population stood at 5.5 million, slightly declining to 5.4 million in 1920 and 5.3 million in 1922. By 1939, it had risen to six million, and continued to grow through the Soviet era, reaching 9.2 million in 1959, 13 million in 1970, 14.6 million in 1979, and 15.6 million in 1984.

On the eve of independence in 1991, the country’s population peaked at 16.4 million, but fell to 14.9 million by 2000 due to large-scale emigration. Recovery began in the following decade, with the population reaching 16.2 million in 2010, 20 million in 2023, and 20.3 million as of mid-2025.

Demographic experts project Kazakhstan’s population could reach 26 million by 2050.