MigrantoKazakh Diaspora
2.8M Kazakhs live abroad — 14% of the population of Kazakhstan
Kazakh diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 87% of the diaspora
| 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 region
93% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Kazakh diaspora in numbers
The community in Turkey is growing fastest
The number of Kazakhs living in Turkey has grown 315% since 2015, from 20.4K to 84.8K.
Most Kazakhs abroad live in Russia
47% of the diaspora lives in Russia, while the next country accounts for just 32%.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 74% to 47%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
6 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: South Korea, Czech Republic, Italy. South Korea climbed from outside the top 20 to #6.
1 in 7 people born in Kazakhstan lives abroad
2.8M people born in Kazakhstan now live in other countries — 13.6% of a population of 20.6M.
Kazakh diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 3178221 |
| 1995 | 3270367 |
| 2000 | 3407178 |
| 2005 | 3648310 |
| 2010 | 3753542 |
| 2015 | 3348874 |
| 2020 | 3029566 |
| 2024 | 2796572 |
Largest communities over time
Kazakhs living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Kazakhs in each country has changed since the selected year
Kazakhs among immigrants in other countries
Where Kazakhs make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Kazakhs live outside Kazakhstan?
Around 2.8M Kazakhs live abroad, the world's #28 largest diaspora.
Where do most Kazakhs abroad live?
Most Kazakhs live in Russia, Germany and Ukraine — these three countries account for about 87% of all Kazakhs living abroad.
Which country has the largest Kazakh population outside Kazakhstan?
Russia is home to the largest Kazakh community abroad — 1.3M people, about 47% of all Kazakhs living abroad.
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.
Is the Kazakh diaspora growing?
No — over the past decade, the number of Kazakhs living abroad has fallen from 3.3M to 2.8M, about 16%.
Where does the data on the Kazakh diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Kazakhstan who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Kazakhstan
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