Kazakhstan

Most immigrants in Kazakhstan come from neighboring countries tied together by shared Soviet history, the Russian language, and long borders. Historically, over two million Russian-born individuals lived in the country due to Soviet-era relocations. Today, nearly three-quarters of a million migrants arrive from Uzbekistan, drawn by geographic proximity and growing economic opportunities.

The collapse of the Soviet Union triggered a massive demographic shift as populations from Russia and Ukraine steadily departed. In their place, a regional economic boom attracted a rising wave of Central Asian labor migrants looking for higher wages. State-sponsored repatriation programs also brought hundreds of thousands of ethnic Kazakhs back from China and Mongolia, completely reshaping the immigrant population.

Most people leaving Kazakhstan settle in Russia and Germany, driven by deep historical ties and family connections. Over a million Kazakhstan-born individuals currently live in Russia, benefiting from the shared Russian language and familiar cultural landscapes. Meanwhile, nearly 900,000 have relocated to Germany, a migration largely fueled by long-standing repatriation programs for ethnic Germans.

Following the Soviet collapse, emigration was heavily dominated by ethnic Russians and Ukrainians returning to those republics. Over the decades, this post-Soviet exodus steadily declined as a new generation began seeking global career and lifestyle opportunities. Today, booming economies in countries like Turkiye and South Korea attract tens of thousands of Kazakhstanis looking for higher wages and modern industries.