MigrantoKazakh Diaspora
2.8M Kazakhs live abroad — the #28 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 87% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Russia | 1321004 |
| Germany | 896268 |
| Ukraine | 228982 |
| Turkey | 84823 |
| Belarus | 68126 |
| South Korea | 30061 |
| Greece | 29238 |
| Turkmenistan | 19875 |
| Israel | 17166 |
| Canada | 15397 |
| Uzbekistan | 13013 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 12333 |
| Czech Republic | 8719 |
| Poland | 8163 |
| Italy | 5280 |
| Latvia | 5204 |
| Lithuania | 4475 |
| Estonia | 3825 |
| Bulgaria | 3174 |
| Australia | 2892 |
| Moldova | 2459 |
| Mali | 2409 |
| Azerbaijan | 1994 |
| China | 1862 |
| Georgia | 1766 |
| Portugal | 1123 |
| Norway | 1082 |
| Hungary | 987 |
| Libya | 904 |
| Tajikistan | 842 |
| Armenia | 710 |
| Denmark | 493 |
| Finland | 405 |
| Slovakia | 315 |
| Cyprus | 246 |
| Luxembourg | 239 |
| Mongolia | 238 |
| Slovenia | 235 |
| India | 78 |
| Croatia | 58 |
| Iceland | 53 |
| Bolivia | 28 |
| Dominican Republic | 11 |
| Liechtenstein | 10 |
| Costa Rica | 7 |
By destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 93%
2.6M
106.7K
78.3K
15.4K
3.3K
2.9K
46
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Kazakhstan.
Turkey is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Turkey has increased by 315% since 2015, rising from 20.4K to 84.8K in 9 years.
Russia is the primary destination for emigrants
Russia attracts 47% of all emigrants from Kazakhstan, while the second-largest destination receives just 32%.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 74% to 47%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
6 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: South Korea, Czech Republic, Italy — South Korea rose from outside the top 20 to rank #6.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 3178221 |
| 1995 | 3270367 |
| 2000 | 3407178 |
| 2005 | 3648310 |
| 2010 | 3753542 |
| 2015 | 3348874 |
| 2020 | 3029566 |
| 2024 | 2796572 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Russia | Germany | Ukraine | Turkey | Belarus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2349697 | 215522 | 330947 | 4996 | 81148 |
| 1995 | 2506132 | 228962 | 290731 | 4996 | 76868 |
| 2000 | 2571681 | 348925 | 254065 | 4996 | 72587 |
| 2005 | 2568446 | 613145 | 232148 | 9738 | 71580 |
| 2010 | 2480017 | 808562 | 221504 | 14790 | 70573 |
| 2015 | 2027417 | 849840 | 222245 | 20446 | 69957 |
| 2020 | 1635008 | 872932 | 225962 | 38677 | 68934 |
| 2024 | 1321004 | 896268 | 228982 | 84823 | 68126 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Kazakhstan as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Kazakhstan
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Kazakhs move to?
Most Kazakhs have moved to Russia, Germany and Ukraine — these three countries account for about 87% of all Kazakhs living abroad.
How many Kazakhs live abroad?
Around 2.8M Kazakhs live abroad, making it the #28-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Kazakhstan lives abroad?
About 14% of the population of Kazakhstan lives abroad — that's 2.8M out of a total population of 20.6M.
How has emigration from Kazakhstan changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Kazakhstan has fallen from 3.3M to 2.8M people, a decline of about 16%.
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