As of April 2024, the share of Kazakhstan's urban population is 62.3%.[1]
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 | Previous name | City since | 1979 | 1989 | 1999 | 2008 | 2023 | Status | Province | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aktau | Ақтау Aqtau in Kazakh pronounced as /ɑqtɑw/ | Shevchenko | 1963 | align=right | align=right | 159,245 | align=right | 143,396 | align=right | 180,373 | align=right | 270,886 | 2 | Mangystau Province | |||
| Aktobe | Ақтөбе Aqtöbe in Kazakh pronounced as /ɑqtɵbʲe/ | Aktyubinsk | 1880 | align=right | 190,569 | align=right | 253,532 | align=right | 253,088 | align=right | 285,507 | align=right | 560,820 | align=center | 2 | Aktobe Province | |
| Almaty | Алматы Almaty in Kazakh pronounced as /ɑɫmɑtɯ/ | Vernyy, Alma-Ata | 1867 | align=right | 909,644 | align=right | 1,127,884 | align=right | 1,129,356 | align=right | 1,328,362 | align=right | 2,217,700 | 1 | Capital 1929–1997 | ||
| Astana | Астана Astana in Kazakh pronounced as /ɑstɑnɑ/ | Akmola, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Nur-Sultan | 1831 | 233,638 | 277,365 | 312,965 | 389,189 | 1,417,214 | 1 | Capital | |||||||
| Arkalyk | Арқалық Arqalyq in Kazakh pronounced as /ɑɾqɑɫɯq/ | 1965 | align=right | 47,963 | align=right | 62,367 | align=right | 45,700 | align=right | 56,614 | align=right | 28,907 | 4 | Kostanay Province | |||
| Atyrau | Атырау Atyrau in Kazakh pronounced as /ɑtɯɾɑw/ | Guryev | 1885 | align=right | 130,916 | align=right | 149,261 | align=right | 142,497 | align=right | 158,308 | align=right | 315 274 | align=center | 2 | Atyrau province | |
| Baikonur | Байқоңыр Baiqoñyr in Kazakh pronounced as /bɑjqɔŋəɾ/ | Leninsk | 1969 | align=right | align=right | 74,700 | align=right | 60,200 | align=right | 59,452 | align=right | 76 019 | 1 | Kyzylorda Province | |||
| Балқаш Balqaş in Kazakh pronounced as /bɑɫqaʂ/ | 1937 | align=right | 78,145 | align=right | 86,742 | align=right | 81,100 | align=right | 86,897 | align=right | 81,364 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||||
| Жезқазған Jezqazğan in Kazakh pronounced as /ʐʲezqazɣɑn/ | Dzhezkazgan | 1954 | align=right | 89,200 | align=right | 107,053 | align=right | 103,400 | align=right | 112,154 | align=right | 85,012 | 3 | Karagandy Province | |||
| Қарағанды Qarağandy in Kazakh pronounced as /qɑɾɑɣɑndɯ/ | 1934 | align=right | 571,877 | align=right | 507,318 | align=right | 436,864 | align=right | 451,800 | align=right | 515,819 | 2 | Karagandy Province | ||||
| Кентау Kentau in Kazakh pronounced as /kʲentɑw/ | 1955 | align=right | 62,991 | align=right | 63,784 | align=right | 58,100 | align=right | 60,799 | align=right | 74,464 | 4 | South Kazakhstan Province | ||||
| Қызылорда Qyzylorda in Kazakh pronounced as /qɯzɯɫɔɾda/ | Perovsk, Ak-Mechet | 1867 | align=right | 156,128 | align=right | 150,425 | align=right | 157,364 | align=right | 182,929 | align=right | 315 550 | 2 | Kyzylorda Province | |||
| Көкшетау Kökşetau in Kazakh pronounced as /kɵkʂʲetɑw/ | Kokchetav | 1824 | align=right | 103,162 | align=right | 135,424 | align=right | 123,389 | align=right | 132,753 | align=right | 191 105 | 2 | Akmola Province | |||
| Қостанай Qostanai in Kazakh pronounced as /qɔstɑnɑj/ | Kustanay | 1893 | align=right | 164,500 | align=right | 223,558 | align=right | 221,429 | align=right | 249,395 | align=right | 265,718 | 2 | Kostanay Province | |||
| Жаңаөзен Jañaözen in Kazakh pronounced as /ʐɑŋɑɵzʲen/ | Noviy Uzen' | 1968 | align=right | 34,000 | align=right | 48,300 | align=right | 51,100 | align=right | 60,796 | align=right | 152 431 | 3 | Mangystau Province | |||
| Павлодар Pavlodar in Kazakh pronounced as /pɑʋɫədɑɾ/ | 1861 | align=right | 272,895 | align=right | 329,681 | align=right | 320,400 | align=right | 354,809 | align=right | 367 254 | 2 | Pavlodar Province | ||||
| Петропавл Petropavl in Kazakh pronounced as /pʲetɾəpɑʋɯɫ/ | Petropavlovsk | 1807 | align=right | 206,559 | align=right | 239,606 | align=right | 216,300 | align=right | 208,547 | align=right | 222 076 | 2 | North Kazakhstan Province | |||
| Риддер Ridder in Kazakh pronounced as /ɾɪdˈdɛɾ/ | Leninogorsk | 1934 | align=right | 68,135 | align=right | 68,730 | align=right | 56,269 | align=right | 54,252 | align=right | 52 068 | 3 | East Kazakhstan Region | |||
| Саран Saran in Kazakh pronounced as /sɑɾɑn/ | 1954 | align=right | 54,878 | align=right | 63,900 | align=right | 48,500 | align=right | 49,082 | align=right | 34 636 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||||
| Сәтбаев Sätbaev in Kazakh pronounced as /sætpɑjef/ | 1973 | align=right | 48,700 | align=right | 59,343 | align=right | 62,900 | align=right | 73,874 | align=right | 68 379 | 3 | Karagandy Region | ||||
| Семей Semei in Kazakh pronounced as /sʲemʲej/ | Alash-kala, Semipalatinsk | 1782 | align=right | 282,574 | align=right | 317,112 | align=right | 292,500 | align=right | 312,136 | align=right | 328 782 | 3 | East Kazakhstan Region | |||
| Степногорск Stepnogorsk in Kazakh pronounced as /stʲepnɐɡɔɾsk/ | 1964 | align=right | 46,700 | align=right | 63,300 | align=right | 50,900 | align=right | 47,705 | align=right | 68 460 | 3 | Akmola Province | ||||
| Талдықорған Taldyqorğan in Kazakh pronounced as /tɑɫdɯqɔɾɣɑn/ | 1944 | align=right | 87,948 | align=right | 118,623 | align=right | 107,100 | align=right | 114,728 | align=right | 168 674 | 2 | Almaty Province | ||||
| Тараз Taraz in Kazakh pronounced as /taɾaz/ | Talas, Zhambyl, Aulie-Ata | ancient | align=right | 263,793 | align=right | 303,961 | align=right | 330,125 | align=right | 398,233 | align=right | 427 394 | 2 | Jambyl Province | |||
| Теміртау Temırtau in Kazakh pronounced as /tʲemɘɾtɑw/ | 1945 | align=right | 213,026 | align=right | 213,551 | align=right | 181,800 | align=right | 179,520 | align=right | 171 890 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||||
| Түркістан Türkıstan in Kazakh pronounced as /tʏɾkɘstɑn/ | ancient | align=right | 66741 | align=right | 77,692 | align=right | 87,600 | align=right | 109,673 | align=right | 220,133 | 3 | South Kazakhstan Province | ||||
| Орал Oral in Kazakh pronounced as /ɔɾɑɫ/ | Uralsk | 1613 | align=right | 167,352 | align=right | 199,522 | align=right | 212,900 | align=right | 255,489 | align=right | 254 380 | 2 | West Kazakhstan Region | |||
| Өскемен Öskemen in Kazakh pronounced as /ɵskʲemʲen/ | Ust'-Kamenogorsk | 1868 | align=right | 274,287 | align=right | 322,221 | align=right | 310,950 | align=right | 344,421 | align=right | 400,142 | 2 | East Kazakhstan Region | |||
| Шымкент Şymkent in Kazakh pronounced as /ʂɯmkʲent/ | Chimkent, Chernyayev | Middle Ages | align=right | 321,535 | align=right | 380,091 | align=right | 390,200 | align=right | 454,583 | align=right | 1,216,000 | 1 | Shymkent | |||
| Шахтинск Şahtinsk in Kazakh pronounced as /ʂɑχtʲɪnsk/ | 1961 | align=right | 50,382 | align=right | 65,600 | align=right | 54,800 | align=right | 54,748 | align=right | 39 185 | 3 | Karagandy Region | ||||
| Щучинск Şçuçinsk in Kazakh pronounced as /ɕutʃɪnsk/ | 1939 | align=right | align=right | 55,500 | align=right | 47,900 | align=right | 50,128 | align=right | 47 625 | 4 | Akmola Province | |||||
| Екібастұз Ekıbastūz in Kazakh pronounced as /jekɘbɑsto̙z/ | 1957 | align=right | 65,871 | align=right | 135,006 | align=right | 137,200 | align=right | 158,165 | align=right | 152 509 | 3 | Pavlodar Region | ||||