Republic Day: Seven years of change in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has added more than two million residents, while life expectancy has approached 76 years. Annual housing construction has grown by more than half. To mark Republic Day, Qazinform News Agency correspondent examines seven years of change through the numbers.
More than two million additional residents
Kazakhstan’s population grew from 18.4 million in early 2019 to 20.62 million by September 2026. That represents an increase of about 2.22 million people, or 12%.
Almost three more years of life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth rose from 73.18 years in 2019 to 75.97 in 2025. The increase puts the country nearly three years above its pre-pandemic level.
A gap remains between women and men. In 2025, life expectancy stood at 79.8 years for women and 72.19 for men.
More classrooms and student housing
Kazakhstan has built 1,342 schools since 2019, adding capacity for more than one million students. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev cited these figures at the first session of Kazakhstan’s People’s Council.
For university students, the changes extend beyond the classroom. Figures Qazinform published in October show that 267 dormitories opened over seven years, adding 66,104 beds. During that period, the reported shortage fell from 82,000 to 5,200 beds.
International study options have also expanded within Kazakhstan. Government figures show 33 branches of foreign universities from 12 countries operating in 2026.
The basic student stipend rose from 20,949 tenge in 2019 to 52,372 tenge. That is roughly 2.5 times the earlier amount, before accounting for inflation.
Annual housing construction grows by half
Kazakhstan completed 13.1 million square meters of housing in 2019. By 2025, the annual total had reached 20.1 million.
That means roughly 7 million additional square meters a year, an increase of 53%.
Private developers, including people building their own homes, accounted for 90% of completions in 2025. More construction adds to housing supply, though it does not necessarily bring lower prices.
A larger role for small businesses
Small and medium-sized enterprises generated 31.7% of Kazakhstan’s GDP in 2019. By 2025, their share had reached 40.9%.
The increase of 9.2 percentage points brought their contribution above two-fifths of the economy. At the start of 2026, the sector employed approximately 4.5 million people.
Water access expands
In 2019, water supply coverage stood at 97.2% in cities and 86.4% in rural areas. The Ministry of Industry and Construction has since reported access to water services in every settlement. This includes wells, modular treatment units and water deliveries, alongside centralized networks.
Renewables triple their share
Renewable sources provided 2.3% of Kazakhstan’s electricity in 2019. By 2025, their share had reached 7%, roughly three times as much.
Their annual output grew from 2.4 billion to 8.62 billion kilowatt-hours over that period. Wind farms led renewable generation in 2025, followed by solar plants. Hydropower facilities counted in renewable energy statistics ranked third.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Kazakhstanis on Republic Day. He highlighted how the Declaration of State Sovereignty laid the foundation for Kazakhstan’s independence.