Internal Migration in Kazakhstan

Abstract

With a population of 17.6 million, Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world. Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since that time, more detailed data on internal migration have been collected using decennial censuses, with questions focussing on lifetime migration, duration of residence and mover characteristics. Internal migration data are also collected based on administrative records. Data from the 2009 Census suggest that Kazakhstan is currently undergoing a period of historically high migration intensity. While overall intensity remains modest by Asian standards, there has been a significant increase since the 1990s. Like other Asian nations, residents of Kazakhstan display early migration profiles, with peaks between ages 20 and 24 for men and women. Women are more likely than men to migrate internally in the rural areas, and ethnic Kazakhs are more likely to migrate internally than other groups. With almost 60% of its population residing in cities, Kazakhstan is in the middle stages of the urban transition. Flows are highly focussed on the capital city, Astana, reflected in very high levels of migration effectiveness in the 1990s and 2000s. This led to moderate population redistribution at the national level, which has lessened as flows have become more balanced. At the regional level, Astana has dominated the system of inter-regional flows, presenting a host of challenges for urban planners and policymakers.