List of cities in Kazakhstan

As of March 2017, the share of Kazakhstan's urban population is 53%. Kazakhstan's modernization program and innovative development path are expected to accelerate the country's urbanization processes resulting in increased share of urban population from 53% to 70% by 2030.[1]

Provinces and main cities of Kazakhstan

The following is a list of cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Kazakhstan. The names of many places have been changed during the 20th and 21st centuries, sometimes more than once. Wherever possible, the old names have been included and linked to the new ones.

Insignia	Name English	Name Kazakh	Previous name	City since	1979	1989	1999	2008	Status	Province
	Aktau	Ақтау Aqtau [ɑqtɑw]	Shevchenko	1963		159,245	143,396	180,373	2	Mangystau Province
	Aktobe	Ақтөбе Aqtöbe [ɑqtɵbʲe]	Aktyubinsk	1880	190,569	253,532	253,088	285,507	2	Aktobe Province
	Almaty	Алматы Almaty [ɑɫmɑtɯ]	Vernyy, Верный, Alma-Ata, Алма́-Ата́	1867	909,644	1,127,884	1,129,356	1,328,362	1	Capital 1929–1997
	Arkalyk	Арқалық Arqalyq [ɑɾqɑɫɯq]		1965	47,963	62,367	45,700	56,614	4	Kostanay Province
	Astana	Астана Astana [ɑstɑnɑ]	Akmola, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Nur-Sultan	1831	233,638	277,365	312,965	389,189	1	Capital
	Atyrau	Атырау Atyrau [ɑtɯɾɑw]	Guryev	1885	130,916	149,261	142,497	158,308	2	Atyrau province
	Baikonur	Байқоңыр Baiqoñyr [bɑjqɔŋəɾ]	Leninsk	1969		74,700	60,200	59,452	1
	Balqash	Балқаш Balqaş [bɑɫqaʂ]		1937	78,145	86,742	81,100	86,897	3	Karagandy Province
	Jezkazgan	Жезқазған Jezqazğan [ʐʲezqazɣɑn]	Dzhezkazgan	1954	89,200	107,053	103,400	112,154	3	Karagandy Province
	Karaganda	Қарағанды Qarağandy [qɑɾɑɣɑndɯ]		1934	571,877	507,318	436,864	451,800	2	Karagandy Province
	Kentau	Кентау Kentau [kʲentɑw]		1955	62,991	63,784	58,100	60,799	4	South Kazakhstan Province
	Kyzylorda	Қызылорда Qyzylorda [qɯzɯɫɔɾda]	Perovsk, Ak-Mechet	1867	156,128	150,425	157,364	182,929	2	Kyzylorda Province
	Kokshetau	Көкшетау Kökşetau [kɵkʂʲetɑw]	Kokchetav	1862	103,162	135,424	123,389	132,753	2	Akmola Province
	Kostanay	Қостанай Qostanai [qɔstɑnɑj]	Kustanay	1893	164,500	223,558	221,429	249,395	2	Kostanay Province
	Janaozen	Жаңаөзен Jañaözen [ʐɑŋɑɵzʲen]	Noviy Uzen'	1968	34,000	48,300	51,100	60,796	3	Mangystau Province
	Pavlodar	Павлодар Pavlodar [pɑʋɫədɑɾ]		1861	272,895	329,681	320,400	354,809	2	Pavlodar Province
	Petropavl	Петропавл Petropavl [pʲetɾəpɑʋɯɫ]	Petropavlovsk	1807	206,559	239,606	216,300	208,547	2	North Kazakhstan Province
	Ridder	Риддер Ridder [ɾɪdˈdɛɾ]	Leninogorsk	1934	68,135	68,730	56,269	54,252	3	East Kazakhstan Region
	Saran	Саран Saran [sɑɾɑn]		1954	54,878	63,900	48,500	49,082	3	Karagandy Province
	Satpayev	Сәтбаев Sätbaev [sætpɑjef]		1973	48,700	59,343	62,900	73,874	3	Karagandy Region
	Semey	Семей Semei [sʲemʲej]	Alash-kala, Semipalatinsk	1782	282,574	317,112	292,500	312,136	3	East Kazakhstan Region
	Stepnogorsk	Степногорск Stepnogorsk [stʲepnɐɡɔɾsk]		1964	46,700	63,300	50,900	47,705	3	Akmola Province
	Taldykorgan	Талдықорған Taldyqorğan [tɑɫdɯqɔɾɣɑn]		1944	87,948	118,623	107,100	114,728	2	Almaty Province
	Taraz	Тараз Taraz [taɾaz]	Talas, Zhambyl, Aulie-Ata	ancient	263,793	303,961	330,125	398,233	2	Jambyl Province
	Temirtau	Теміртау Temırtau [tʲemɘɾtɑw]		1945	213,026	213,551	181,800	179,520	3	Karagandy Province
	Turkistan	Түркістан Türkıstan [tʏɾkɘstɑn]		ancient	66741	77,692	87,600	109,673	3	South Kazakhstan Province
	Oral	Орал Oral [ɔɾɑɫ]	Uralsk	1613	167,352	199,522	212,900	255,489	2	West Kazakhstan Region
	Oskemen	Өскемен Öskemen [ɵskʲemʲen]	Ust'-Kamenogorsk	1868	274,287	322,221	310,950	344,421	2	East Kazakhstan Region
	Shymkent	Шымкент Şymkent [ʂɯmkʲent]	Chimkent, Chernyayev	middle ages	321,535	380,091	390,200	454,583	1	Shymkent
	Shakhtinsk	Шахтинск Şahtinsk [ʂɑχtʲɪnsk]		1961	50,382	65,600	54,800	54,748	3	Karagandy Region
	Schuchinsk	Щучинск Şçuçinsk [ɕutʃɪnsk]		1939		55,500	47,900	50,128	4	Akmola Province
	Ekibastuz	Екібастұз Ekıbastūz [jekɘbɑsto̙z]		1957	65,871	135,006	137,200	158,165	3	Pavlodar Region