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Asia / Central Asia · Card 020

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a country in Central Asia. Its capital is Astana.

Find Kazakhstan

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital: Astana
Languages: Kazakh & Russian
Currency: Kazakhstani tenge (KZT)
Population: 20.8 million2025 · World Bank
Area: 2,724,900 km²1,052,089 square miles
Independence: 1991from the Soviet Union

Kazakhstan in context

Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Astana; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & languages

Physical geography

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.

Languages

Languages used in public life include Kazakh, Russian.

Location

Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe.

Flag

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · Kurultai

History & independence

Kazakh territories came under Russian imperial rule before becoming part of the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan declared independence in December 1991. The national capital moved from Almaty to Akmola in 1997; the city was subsequently named Astana.

1991
Independence from the Soviet Union
1997
Capital moved from Almaty
2015
Kazakhstan joins the World Trade Organization

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · Kurultai

Economy

Main activities

Oil, natural gas, uranium and metal production are important export activities. Agriculture, transport and services also contribute, linking the country to European and Asian markets.

Industry and production

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · Kurultai

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people

20.82025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Millions of people
1970	12,419,057	12.419
1980	15,152,949	15.153
1990	17,154,054	17.154
2000	15,501,103	15.501
2010	16,836,810	16.837
2020	19,482,117	19.482
2025	20,843,754	20.844

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

260.42025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990	95,326,487,410	95.326
1991	84,840,573,793	84.841
1992	80,344,023,383	80.344
1993	72,952,373,230	72.952
1994	63,760,374,204	63.760
1995	58,532,023,519	58.532
1996	58,824,683,638	58.825
1997	59,824,703,259	59.825
1998	58,688,033,898	58.688
1999	60,272,610,812	60.273
2000	66,179,326,673	66.179
2001	75,113,535,772	75.114
2002	82,474,662,278	82.475
2003	90,144,805,870	90.145
2004	98,798,707,234	98.799
2005	108,382,181,835	108.382
2006	119,979,075,292	119.979
2007	130,657,212,993	130.657
2008	134,968,901,022	134.969
2009	136,588,527,833	136.589
2010	146,559,490,370	146.559
2011	157,404,892,659	157.405
2012	164,960,327,499	164.960
2013	174,857,947,144	174.858
2014	182,201,980,934	182.202
2015	184,388,404,706	184.388
2016	186,416,677,156	186.417
2017	194,059,760,924	194.060
2018	202,016,211,109	202.016
2019	211,106,940,611	211.107
2020	205,829,267,103	205.829
2021	214,679,925,583	214.680
2022	221,549,683,201	221.550
2023	232,848,717,044	232.849
2024	244,491,152,896	244.491
2025	260,383,077,834	260.383

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.837Very High human developmentRank 60 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.689

20000.692

20100.781

20200.826

20230.837

74.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth

12.5 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

Presidential republic. Following constitutional changes in 2026, the legislature is the single-chamber Kurultai. The president holds substantial executive and appointment powers.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · Kurultai

Knowledge check

Three questions about Kazakhstan.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which city is identified as the capital of Kazakhstan?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · Kurultai

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.