Ethnic Kazakhs derive from a mix of Turkic nomadic tribes that migrated to the region in the 15th century. The Kazakh steppe was conquered by the Russian Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1925. Repression and starvation caused by forced agricultural collectivization led to more than a million deaths in the early 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s, the agricultural \"Virgin Lands\" program led to an influx of settlers (mostly ethnic Russians, but also other nationalities) and at the time of Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, ethnic Kazakhs were a minority. 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) back 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": { "Location": { "text": "Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "48 00 N, 68 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Asia" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "2,724,900 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "2,699,700 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "25,200 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly less than four times the size of Texas" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "13,364 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "China 1,765 km; Kyrgyzstan 1,212 km; Russia 7,644 km; Turkmenistan 413 km; Uzbekistan 2,330 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km)" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "none (landlocked)" }, "Climate": { "text": "continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid" }, "Terrain": { "text": "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" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Pik Khan-Tengri 7,010 m
Nearly 40% of Kazakhstan’s population is under the age of 25. Like many former Soviet states, Kazakhstan’s total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of births per woman – decreased after independence amidst economic problems and fell below replacement level, 2.1. However, in the late 2000s, as the economy improved and incomes rose, Kazakhstan experienced a small baby boom and TFR reached 2.5. TFR has since fallen and is now just over 2.1. Mortality rates are also decreasing and life expectancy is rising, signs that Kazakhstan’s demographic transition is progressing.
Kazakhstan has a diverse population consisting of Asian ethnic groups (predominantly Kazakhs, as well as Uzbeks, Uighurs, and Tatars) and ethnic Europeans (mainly Russians but also Ukrainians and Germans). Approximately two thirds of Kazakhstan’s population today is Kazakh. During the mid-20th century, as Kazakhstan industrialized, waves of ethnic Russians and deportees from other parts of the Soviet Union arrived. Eventually, the ethnic Russian population outnumbered the Kazakhs. In the 1990s, following Kazakhstan’s independence, Russian and other ethnic Europeans began emigrating, while some ethnic Kazakhs (referred to as Oralmans) returned to their homeland from neighboring countries, China, and Mongolia. As a result, the country’s ethnic make-up changed, and a Kazakh majority was reestablished.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has shifted from being mainly a migrant-sending country to a migrant-receiving country. Due to its oil-driven economic boom, Kazakhstan has become a more popular destination. The country needs highly skilled workers in the industrial, business, and education sectors and low-skilled labor in agriculture, markets, services, and construction. Kazakhstan is increasingly reliant on migrant workers, primarily from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, to fill its labor shortage. At the same time, highly skilled Kazakhs continue to emigrate, mostly to Russia, seeking higher salaries or further education.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "26.13% (male 2,438,148/female 2,550,535)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "12.97% (male 1,262,766/female 1,212,645)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "42.23% (male 3,960,188/female 4,102,845)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "10.25% (male 856,180/female 1,099,923)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "8.43% (2020 est.) (male 567,269/female 1,041,450)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "58.8" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "46.3" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "12.6" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "8 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "31.6 years" }, "male": { "text": "30.3 years" }, "female": { "text": "32.8 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.77% (2022 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "15.38 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "8.11 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "58% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "1.958 million Almaty, 1.254 million NUR-SULTAN (capital), 1.126 million Shimkent (2022)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "0.94 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "0.94 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "0.96 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.78 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.35 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.9 male(s)/female (2022 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "28.9 years (2019 est.)" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "10 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "19.18 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "21.73 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "16.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "72.53 years" }, "male": { "text": "67.43 years" }, "female": { "text": "77.31 years (2022 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "2.11 children born/woman (2022 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "53% (2018)", "note": "note: percent of women aged 18-49" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 93.8% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 97.4% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 6.2% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 2.6% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "2.8% of GDP (2019)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "3.98 physicians/1,000 population (2020)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "6.1 beds/1,000 population (2014)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 99.9% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 99.9% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 99.9% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0.1% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0.1% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "0.3% (2020 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "35,000 (2020 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "(2020 est.) <500" }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "21% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "3.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "1.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "23.2% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "39.6% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "6.7% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "2% (2015)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "2.9% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "99.8%" }, "male": { "text": "99.8%" }, "female": { "text": "99.7% (2018)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "16 years" }, "male": { "text": "15 years" }, "female": { "text": "16 years (2020)" } }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "3.8%" }, "male": { "text": "3.4%" }, "female": { "text": "4.2% (2020 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; desertification; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "11.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "247.21 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "45.03 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Climate": { "text": "continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "77.4% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 8.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "1.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "21.4% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "58% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "forest revenues": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Revenue from coal": { "coal revenues": { "text": "0.99% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "4,659,740 tons (2012 est.)" }, "municipal solid waste recycled annually": { "text": "136,064 tons (2012 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "2.9% (2012 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "Fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Ozero Balkhash - 22,000 sq km; Ozero Zaysan - 1,800 sq km" }, "Salt water lake(s)": { "text": "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" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Syr Darya river mouth (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan) - 3,078 km" } }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:
Kazakhstan's vast hydrocarbon and mineral reserves form the backbone of its economy. Geographically the largest of the former Soviet republics, excluding Russia, Kazakhstan, g possesses substantial fossil fuel reserves and other minerals and metals, such as uranium, copper, and zinc. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. The government realizes that its economy suffers from an overreliance on oil and extractive industries and has made initial attempts to diversify its economy by targeting sectors like transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, petrochemicals and food processing for greater development and investment. It also adopted a Subsoil Code in December 2017 with the aim of increasing exploration and investment in the hydrocarbon, and particularly mining, sectors.
Kazakhstan's oil production and potential is expanding rapidly. A $36.8 billion expansion of Kazakhstan’s premiere Tengiz oil field by Chevron-led Tengizchevroil should be complete in 2022. Meanwhile, the super-giant Kashagan field finally launched production in October 2016 after years of delay and an estimated $55 billion in development costs. Kazakhstan’s total oil production in 2017 climbed 10.5%.
Kazakhstan is landlocked and depends on Russia to export its oil to Europe. It also exports oil directly to China. In 2010, Kazakhstan joined Russia and Belarus to establish a Customs Union in an effort to boost foreign investment and improve trade. The Customs Union evolved into a Single Economic Space in 2012 and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in January 2015. Supported by rising commodity prices, Kazakhstan’s exports to EAEU countries increased 30.2% in 2017. Imports from EAEU countries grew by 24.1%.
The economic downturn of its EAEU partner, Russia, and the decline in global commodity prices from 2014 to 2016 contributed to an economic slowdown in Kazakhstan. In 2014, Kazakhstan devalued its currency, the tenge, and announced a stimulus package to cope with its economic challenges. In the face of further decline in the ruble, oil prices, and the regional economy, Kazakhstan announced in 2015 it would replace its currency band with a floating exchange rate, leading to a sharp fall in the value of the tenge. Since reaching a low of 391 to the dollar in January 2016, the tenge has modestly appreciated, helped by somewhat higher oil prices. While growth slowed to about 1% in both 2015 and 2016, a moderate recovery in oil prices, relatively stable inflation and foreign exchange rates, and the start of production at Kashagan helped push 2017 GDP growth to 4%.
Despite some positive institutional and legislative changes in the last several years, investors remain concerned about corruption, bureaucracy, and arbitrary law enforcement, especially at the regional and municipal levels. An additional concern is the condition of the country’s banking sector, which suffers from poor asset quality and a lack of transparency. Investors also question the potentially negative effects on the economy of a contested presidential succession as Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, turned 77 in 2017.
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$475.18 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$487.87 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$466.86 billion (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "6.13% (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2018": { "text": "4.41% (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "4.38% (2017 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$25,300 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$26,400 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$25,500 (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$181.194 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "5.2% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "6% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "7.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "BBB (2016)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Baa3 (2016)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "BBB- (2016)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "4.7% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "34.1% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "61.2% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "53.2% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "11.1% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "22.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "4.8% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "35.4% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-27.1% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "wheat, milk, potatoes, barley, watermelons, melons, linseed, onions, maize, sunflower seed" }, "Industries": { "text": "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" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "5.8% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "8.685 million (2020 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "18.1%" }, "industry": { "text": "20.4%" }, "services": { "text": "61.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "4.8% (2019 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2018": { "text": "4.85% (2018 est.)" } }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "3.8%" }, "male": { "text": "3.4%" }, "female": { "text": "4.2% (2020 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "4.3% (2018 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017": { "text": "27.5 (2017 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2003": { "text": "31.5 (2003)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "4.2%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "23.3% (2016)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "35.48 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "38.3 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "20.8% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "19.7% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "22.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2019": { "text": "-$7.206 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2018": { "text": "-$138 million (2018 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2020": { "text": "$51.75 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$65.91 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2018": { "text": "$67.15 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "China 13%, Italy 12%, Russia 10%, Netherlands 7%, France 6%, South Korea 5% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, natural gas, copper, iron alloys, radioactive chemicals (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2020": { "text": "$44.3 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$51.5 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2018": { "text": "$46.23 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Russia 34%, China 24% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "packaged medicines, natural gas, cars, broadcasting equipment, aircraft (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$30.75 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$29.53 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2019": { "text": "$159.351 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Debt - external 2018": { "text": "$163.73 billion (2018 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "tenge (KZT) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "420.0049 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "385.9248 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "370.4648 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "221.73 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "179.19 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "25.022 million kW (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "92,133,960,000 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "2.419 billion kWh (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "1.935 billion kWh (2019 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "9.689 billion kWh (2019 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "88.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "10.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "tide and wave": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "geothermal": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "102.338 million metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "74.819 million metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "3.002 million metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "993,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "25.605 billion metric tons (2019 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "1,864,900 bbl/day (2021 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "320,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate exports": { "text": "1,531,600 barrels/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate imports": { "text": "500 barrels/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "30 billion barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "290,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "105,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "39,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "25,785,505,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "14,557,101,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "16,418,081,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "7,713,978,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "2,406,928,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "263.689 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "195.926 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "39.205 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "28.557 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": { "text": "180.726 million Btu/person (2019 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "3.091 million (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "16 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "24,293,900 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "129 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "Kazakhstan has one of the most developed telecommunications sectors in the Central Asian region; this is especially true of the mobile segment, where widespread network coverage has enabled very high penetration rates reaching 180% as far back as 2012; the mobile and fixed-line segments have both pared back their subscriber numbers to more modest levels; the telcos have still been successful in terms of improving their margins and revenues by growing value-added services along with exploiting the capabilities of their higher speed networks (4G LTE as well as fiber) to drive significant increases in data usage; Kazakhstan has enjoyed a high fixed-line teledensity thanks to concerted efforts to invest in the fixed-line infrastructure as well as next-generation networks; demand for traditional voice services is on the wane as customers take a preference for the flexibility and ubiquity of the mobile platform for voice as well as data services; mobile clearly dominates the telecom sector in Kazakhstan, yet 2020 saw a sharp drop in subscriber numbers for both mobile voice and mobile broadband services as the Covid-19 crisis took hold; with the exception of fixed-line voice services, Kazakhstan’s telecom market is expected to return to moderate growth from 2022 onwards; the extensive deployment of LTE networks across the country (along with the prospect of 5G services being added to the mix in 2023) points towards an even greater uptake of lucrative mobile broadband services, in particular. (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of fixed-line connections is approximately 17 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscriber base 134 per 100 persons (2020)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 7; international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the TAE fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "the state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks; there are 96 TV channels, many of which are owned by the government, and 4 state-run radio stations; some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; a small number of commercial radio stations operate along with state-run radio stations; recent legislation requires all media outlets to register with the government and all TV providers to broadcast in digital format by 2018; broadcasts reach some 99% of the population as well as neighboring countries (2018)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".kz" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "16,465,777 (July 2022 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "86% (July 2022 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "2,620,400 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "14 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "12 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "84" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "7,143,797 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "50.22 million (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "UP" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "96 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "63" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "10" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "25" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "15" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "5" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "8 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "33" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "5" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "7" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "3" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "5" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "13 (2021)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "3 (2021)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "658 km condensate, 15,429 km gas (2020), 8,020 km oil (2020), 1,095 km refined products, 1,975 km water (2017) (2020)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "16,636 km (2020)" }, "broad gauge": { "text": "16,636 km (2020) 1.520-m gauge (4,237 km electrified)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "96,167 km (2021)" }, "paved": { "text": "83,813 km (2021)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "12,354 km (2021)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "43,983 km (2020) (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "119" }, "by type": { "text": "general cargo 3, oil tanker 7, other 109 (2021)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Caspian Sea - Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev)" }, "river port(s)": { "text": "Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk) (Irtysh River)" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police; Committee for National Security: Border Service (2022)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $3.6 billion)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $3.06 billion)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "0.8% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $2.85 billion)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "information varies; approximately 40,000 active duty personnel (25,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Naval Forces; 12,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Kazakh military's inventory is comprised of mostly older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, Russia has been the leading supplier of weapons systems (2022)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "all men 18-27 are required to serve in the military for 12-24 months (2022)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Kazakhstan has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and contributes troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force (2022)" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "Kazakhstan-China: in 1998, Kazakhstan and China agreed to split two disputed border areas nearly evenly; demarcation with China completed in 2002
Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan: in January 2019, Kyrgyzstan ratified the 2017 agreement on the demarcation of the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border
Kazakhstan-Russia: Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November 2005; field demarcation commenced in 2007 and was expected to be completed by 2013
Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan: Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a treaty on the delimitation and demarcation process in 2001; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005; Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan agreed to their border in the Caspian Sea in 2014
Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan: field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004; disputed territory is held by Uzbekistan but the overwhelming majority of residents are ethnic Kazakhs; the two countries agreed on draft final demarcation documents in March 2022 and planned to hold another meeting in April 2022
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "stateless persons": { "text": "7,915 (mid-year 2021)" } }, "Trafficking in persons": { "current situation": { "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Kazakhstan and Kazakhstanis abroad; traffickers lure victims from rural areas to larger cities with fake offers of employment; traffickers coerce or force Kazakhstani men and women into labor in Russia, Bahrain, Brazil, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates; sex traffickers exploit Kazakhstani women and girls in the Middle East, Europe, East Asia, the United States, Central Asian and Eastern European countries and rural areas in Kazakhstan; children are forced to beg and adults and children may be coerced into criminal behavior; traffickers are increasingly using debt-based coercion; traffickers capitalize on tough law enforcement policies on migrants to coerce them to remain and leverage these policies to threaten victims with punishment and deportation if they notify authorities, which fosters a distrust in law enforcement" }, "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Kazakhstan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government adopted amendments increasing criminal penalties for traffickers, including rescinding the provision allowing alleged traffickers to pay a settlement to victims to withdraw their criminal cases; authorities developed victim identification guidelines for diplomatic staff and provided victim identification training to some labor inspectors; the government took initial steps toward improving its annual NGO funding process; the government’s efforts to identify and protect foreign victims increased; foreign victims who did not participate in criminal investigations were ineligible for services and were deported; law enforcement continued to make limited efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict labor trafficking crimes; trafficking convictions decreased for the fourth consecutive year; NGOs reported allegations of police officers’ involvement in human trafficking, but few police or other officials suspected of complicity were investigated or prosecuted (2020)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "synthetic drugs dominate the local illicit drug market, smuggled from Southeast Asia, China, Russia and Europe; however the number of domestic clandestine laboratories producing synthetic drugs continues to increase; remains a transit country for Afghan heroin destined for Russia and Europe.
" } } }