At the beginning of February in Astana, the snow outside the window had not yet melted, but a brief report from the statistics bureau made the country feel another warmth - the population exceeded 20.5 million.

This is another milestone in the population history of Kazakhstan. The data from the National Bureau of Statistics clearly indicates that as of February 1, 2026, the total permanent population of China reached 20518005. Among them, urban residents make up the majority, with 13.1 million people living in the steel and concrete of the city, while 7.41 million rural residents guard the smoke and traditions of the vast grasslands.

Looking closer, in just one month of 2026, the population had a net increase of 18100. This increment consists of two parts: 15800 from the crying of newborns and 2300 from the migration of foreigners. Natural growth remains the main force, while immigration continues to flow into this land like a small stream.

But that's not the whole story.

If we shift our focus to November 2023, when the population had just crossed the threshold of 20 million. In just over two years, there has been a net increase of 500000- equivalent to the population of an extra medium-sized city out of thin air. Looking back at the beginning of independence in 1991, this number was 16.4 million; In the most difficult period of the late 1990s, it fell to a low of 14.9 million. The upward curve from the bottom to the new high is itself a brief history of the rise and fall of a country.

Under the data, there are more textures worth savoring.

Almaty remains the most crowded pearl, with 2.348 million people living here. Turkestan Oblast followed closely behind, with a population of 2.149 million scattered across the fertile land in the south. However, not all regions are sharing the joy of growth. Nine regions, including Jiangbu'er, Kostanay, and Norja, are experiencing a quiet outflow of population. This paints a complex picture: some people are rushing into the city to pursue opportunities, while others are leaving their homeland in search of tomorrow, with both national growth and local loss occurring simultaneously.

The gender balance is also slightly tilted. There are 10.477 million females and 10.018 million males, with an additional 458000 females, indicating a unique trajectory in the future marriage and childbearing market, consumption structure, and even elderly care models. At the same time, the urbanization rate of 63.6% is still rising, and steel and cement are quietly eroding the boundaries of the grasslands.

Faced with these numbers, the government has already made arrangements.

President Tokayev once posted a message when the population exceeded 20 million, linking it to the national vision of happy families. Policies have also been implemented: maternity subsidies have been extended from one year to one and a half years; The "National Fund for Children" project, launched in 2024, promises to transfer investment income to each underage child's account, which will be used to purchase a house or pursue education when they reach adulthood. These measures attempt to answer a fundamental question: how can the growing population truly become the backbone of the country?

Secretary of State Yellan Carlin's interpretation is even more profound. In his view, population growth is a result of the country's sustainable development plan, and the gathering of population in border areas is itself an intangible defense. Keywords: international news, population growth

20.5 million, it's just a number. But behind the numbers lies the choices of millions of families, the planning of the government, and the sustained efforts of this landlocked country to find its place in the wave of globalization.Editor/Cheng Liting