Digital habits: Why Kazakhstan loves WhatsApp and Uzbekistan prefers Telegram

Collage by Kursiv.media, photo editor: Milosh Muratovskiy

Kazakhstanis prefer TikTok and Instagram for social networking, while WhatsApp is the leading app for communications. In Uzbekistan, Instagram is the top social platform, but Telegram has become the primary communication tool. These differences can largely be explained by disparities in internet penetration and speed.

These findings come from a study conducted in 2023-2024 by Dias Azimzhanov, a doctoral student at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and Karlyga Myssayeva, an associate professor at the same university. Their research, titled «Digital Transformation: Comparative Analysis of Information and Communication Technologies and Media in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan,» explored key differences in digital behavior between the two countries.

The researchers compared:

Digital media markets (including video streaming and investments in digital marketing).
Internet penetration and average connection speeds.
Social media and messenger app usage.
Mobile communication trends.
Broader digital developments.

The analysis revealed that in both countries, mobile devices are the primary means of accessing the internet. In Kazakhstan, the number of mobile connections exceeds the population (133.1%), while in Uzbekistan, that number is slightly lower at 95.5%. Kazakhstan is consolidating its digital economy, while Uzbekistan, though currently behind, is experiencing rapid growth.

Internet and communications. Kazakhstan outpaces Uzbekistan in internet penetration (92.3% vs. 83.3%). Mobile internet is also faster in Kazakhstan, averaging 53.69 Mbps compared to Uzbekistan’s 37.82 Mbps. However, Uzbekistan has the advantage in fixed internet speed: 79.06 Mbps versus Kazakhstan’s 66.38 Mbps.

Digital marketing and media. Kazakhstan’s media market surpassed $220 million, with digital media accounting for nearly half (47%) of the total. Uzbekistan’s digital media sector is smaller but growing steadily at a 27% rate.

Social media. Roughly 71.5% of Kazakhstan’s population uses social media, compared to just 24.6% in Uzbekistan. However, that gap is narrowing as digital adoption increases in Uzbekistan.

Messenger apps. WhatsApp dominates in Kazakhstan, and it is used by 83.4% of the population. In Uzbekistan, Telegram leads with an 88% adoption rate. The researchers note that Telegram’s ability to function reliably in low-bandwidth environments likely contributes to its popularity in Uzbekistan.

Video streaming. Kazakhstan currently leads in the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market, which is projected to reach $57.21 million by 2027. However, Uzbekistan’s SVOD market is growing faster and is expected to hit $83.73 million by the same year.

The authors conclude that Kazakhstan should prioritize expanding mobile internet coverage and bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, should focus on equalizing digital access and continuing to invest in infrastructure development.