Kazakhstan reports inflow of migrants from China and CIS

Over the first six months of 2024, the most migrants arriving to Kazakhstan for permanent residence came from China and CIS states, according to Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection Askarbek Yertayev. He has also noted that the country’s migration balance has been positive since 2022.

Over the reported period, more than 14,000 people moved to Kazakhstan, while 7,000 left, resulting in a positive net migration of approximately 7,300 people.

“Country-specific indicators show that the majority of migrants arrive from CIS countries and China. Additionally, positive trends can be observed in the education level of those migrants, with many holding degrees in technical fields, education and economics,” Yertayev said during a briefing at the Central Communications Service.

He also highlighted the increase in internal migration. Over the first half of the year, 688,000 people moved within Kazakhstan, which is a 1.7–time increase over the previous year.

Meanwhile, major cities continue to attract internal migrants, with over 64,000 people moving to Astana, around 60,000 to Almaty and more than 31,000 to Shymkent.

However, earlier this year, some media outlets reported that four more regions in Kazakhstan may be added to the list of labor deficiency regions due to low birth rates and high levels of outmigration. Experts also predict young people will actively move abroad due to socio-economic reasons.

According to Kazakhstan’s Electronic Labor Exchange (Enbek.kz), the least in-demand positions in the labor market are lawyers, physical education coaches and primary school teachers. The number of CVs is almost twice as much as the number of vacancies offered.