Kurds in Kazakhstan

The Kurds in Kazakhstan, (Kurdish: Kurdên Qazaxistanê, Кӧрдэн Ԛазахьстанэ), form a part of the historically significant Kurdish population in the post-Soviet space, and encompass people born in or residing in Kazakhstan who are of Kurdish origin. According to the most recent Kazakh census in 2011, the Kurdish population is 38,325 or 0.2% of the population,[3] but Vice President of the Kurdish Association of Kazakhstan, Malikshah Gasanov numbers the population up to 46,000,[4] because many Kurds list themselves as Turks and Azeris.[1] Other sources predict this number to be higher, counting up to 60,000 Kurds in Kazakhstan. During the Soviet era, most of the Kurdish population in the Kazakh SSR were deported there by Joseph Stalin from the Armenian, Azerbaijan and Georgian Soviet republics. Years later, Kurds immigrated to Kazakhstan from the neighbouring countries, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.[4]

Kurds in Kazakhstan
Total population
48,642
Regions with significant populations
Almaty Province, Jambyl Province, South Kazakhstan Province[1][2]
Languages
Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kazakh, Russian[1]
Religion
Overwhelmingly Islam
Related ethnic groups
Iranian peoples
 
Part of a series on:

Kurdish history and Kurdish culture
People
Population
  • Homeland
History

Ancient

Karduchian dynasties

Corduene
Zabdicene
Cyrtians
Moxoene

Medieval

Modern
Culture
Languages
Kurdish languages
Religion

In cities with a substantial Kurdish population, Kurdish literature and Kurdish language is taught in the primary and secondary schools. In the village of Kashkabulak, Kurdish students can study Kurdish through 12th grade.[4] And since 1990, Kurds also have had their own newspaper, the Kurdistan newspaper.[4]

Religion among Kazakh Kurds[3]

  Islam (98.3%)
  Christianity (0.52%)
  Atheist and non-religious (0.7%)
  Other and undeclared (0.39%)
  Judaism (0.02%)
  Buddhism (0.01%)

Mother tongue among Kazakh Kurds[3]

  Kurdish (88.7%)
  Other languages (11.3%)

Deportation and immigration

Kurds were deported twice to Central Asia from Caucasia. The first deportation occurred in 1937 where Stalin deported Kurds from Nakhchivan and the second deportation occurred in 1944 in Georgia. Stalin feared a Turkish invasion and he saw Kurds as unreliable, even though many Kurds served in the Soviet military. Many of them died during the deportations.[1]

After the Osh riots and the riots in Fergana Valley between Kyrgyzs and Uzbeks, many Kurds moved to Kazakhstan.[1]

Population by year

Number of Kurds in Kazakhstan per official statistics:[5]

YearPopulation
1970 12,313
1979 17,692
1989 25,371
1999 32,764 (census)
2006 37,312
2007 38,030
2008 38,849
2009 39,660 (annual statistics)

38,325 (census)

2010 40,442
201139,772
201240,626
2013—
201442,312
201543,119
201643,974
201744,768
2018 45,551
2019 46,348
2020 47,153
2021 47,948
2022 48,642

See also

References
  1. Ustina Markus; Didar Kassymova; Zhanat Kundakbayeva (2012). Historical Dictionary of Kazakhstan. p. 166. ISBN 9780810879836. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  2. Chaliand, Gérard (1993). People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan. p. 203. ISBN 9781856491945. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  3. "Table 4.1.1 Population by individual ethnic groups" (PDF). Government of Kazakhstan. stat.kz. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  4. "Kazakhstan: A paradise for ethnic minorities". Kurdish Media. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  5. "Kazakhstan". Retrieved 27 November 2022.
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