Kazakhstan’s Population Exceeds 20.4 Million as Urbanization Continues to Rise

ASTANA — The population of Kazakhstan reached 20,478,879 people as of Dec. 1, 2025, according to the Bureau of National Statistics. Since the beginning of 2025, the...


KazMunayGaz Refineries Reach Record Production of Light Petroleum Products in 2025

ASTANA — Refineries operated by KazMunayGaz (KMG), Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, reached a historic high in production in 2025, producing 13.6 million tons of light...


Heriot-Watt Sees Kazakhstan as Strategic Partner in Higher Education

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s clearly defined higher education strategy makes it a compelling partner for international universities, Heriot-Watt University Vice-Chancellor Richard A. Williams said in an interview with...


How Social Media is Shaping Kazakhstan’s New Generation

ASTANA – Social media has surpassed traditional platforms as the country’s primary source of information, driven by the rapid expansion of mobile internet and the increasing popularity...


What to Watch in 2026: Biggest Sports Events for Kazakhstan

ALMATY — The 2026 year is shaping up to be a landmark one for Kazakh sports, with major international competitions, long-awaited athlete comebacks, and high-profile global events...


Tokayev Outlines Foreign Policy, Reform Agenda for 2026 in Interview

ASTANA – In the second half of 2025, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy gained particular momentum, marked by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s intensive schedule of high-level international engagements across Asia,...


EBRD Supports Expansion of Renewable Energy and Logistics Infrastructure in Kazakhstan

ALMATY — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a loan of up to 25 million euros (approximately US$27 million) to support the expansion...


Kazakhstan Finalizes Funding, Equipment for 2026 Winter Games

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has allocated 13.3 billion tenge (US$26.16 million) to prepare its national teams for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, said Kazakh Minister of...


OPEC+ Prolongs Production Pause Into Early 2026

ASTANA – Eight leading OPEC+ producers agreed to maintain current oil output levels through February and March 2026, extending a pause on production increases due to seasonal...


Tokayev Says 2026 Will Be Decisive for Kazakhstan’s Modernization in Interview

ASTANA — In a Jan. 5 interview with the Turkistan newspaper, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined the key outcomes of 2025 and set priorities for the year ahead, stressing...


Kazakhstan Expands Access to Bond Market Data for Global Investors

ALMATY — Kazakhstan has launched a new information platform to improve transparency and access to its bond market for both international and local investors, as foreign interest...


What 2026 Holds for Kazakhstan’s Economy

ASTANA — Kazakhstan is projected to maintain economic growth in 2026, but at a slower and more balanced pace amid inflationary pressure and tighter financial conditions. According...


Kazakhstan Shines on Global Stage: Landmark Sport Achievements in 2025

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s athletes delivered another successful year in the country’s sporting history in 2025, achieving breakthroughs across football, boxing, tennis and winter sports. From historic firsts...


From Global Pop to Heritage, Kazakhstan’s Cultural 2025

ASTANA — From global pop concerts and major film productions to historical anniversaries and new cultural institutions, 2025 saw Kazakhstan’s cultural life unfold across stages, screens, museums...


Headlines in 2025: Key National Events That Shaped Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan in 2025 was marked by major political, economic, technological and cultural developments that directly affected daily life. The Astana Times rounds up some of...


Kazakhstan’s Diplomacy in 2025: Year of Strategic Recalibration

ASTANA — In 2025, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy moved beyond tactical engagement and incremental cooperation toward a broader strategic recalibration. The year was marked not only by a...


UN ESCAP: Kazakhstan Leads North and Central Asia in New Investment Projects in 2025

ASTANA — Kazakhstan emerged as the leading destination for new investment projects in North and Central Asia in 2025, attracting nearly $19 billion in greenfield investment and...


Kazakhstan Wraps Up 2025: Key International Engagements and Global Initiatives

ASTANA — Throughout 2025, Kazakhstan was actively involved in international diplomacy, multilateral initiatives, and domestic political processes. The year was marked by high-level summits, participation in UN...


Kazakhstan Sees Strong Health and Environmental Results in 2025

ASTANA — Kazakhstan made significant progress in healthcare and environmental protection this year, with government reforms and national programs delivering precise results that improved public health, expanded...


Bibisara Assaubayeva Wins Third World Blitz Title at 2025 FIDE Championship

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Grandmaster Bibisara Assaubayeva, 21, won her third world blitz title at the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship on Dec. 30 in Qatar....


Kazakhstan Names Flag Bearers for Milan 2026 Winter Olympics

ASTANA — Short-track speed skaters Denis Nikisha and Yana Khan will carry Kazakhstan’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, said...


Japan to Provide $7 Million Grant to Boost Healthcare Infrastructure in Kazakhstan

ALMATY — Japan will provide more than 1.087 billion yen (approximately US$7 million) in grant assistance to support the development of healthcare infrastructure in Kazakhstan’s Abai Region,...


Kazakhstan’s IT Exports Reach $1 Billion as Government Reviews Digital Progress in 2025

ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s IT exports reached $1 billion in 2025, reflecting rapid growth in the country’s digital economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and...


Kazakhstan Ends 2025 Stronger at Home and More Visible Abroad

ALMATY — Kazakhstan expanded its international engagement and achieved its strongest economic growth in a decade in 2025, President’s Press Secretary Ruslan Zheldibay wrote in a year-end...


Astana to Celebrate New Year with Citywide Concerts and Fireworks

ASTANA — The Kazakh capital will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a series of festive concerts featuring Kazakh pop stars and bands across ten locations in six...


Institutional Change and Digitalization Defined Kazakhstan’s 2025, Says State Counselor Karin

ASTANA — State Counselor Erlan Karin said 2025 became a year of institutional consolidation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s reforms in Kazakhstan, summarizing the year in a Dec....


Kazakh Experts Talk Investment Strategy

ASTANA – Kazakhstan attracted $10.55 billion in investment in the first six months of the year, underscoring the country’s continued investment appeal despite ongoing geopolitical instability. In...


KazNU Scientist Proves Chicory’s Powerful Antidiabetic Potential

ASTANA — A young scientist from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty has scientifically proven the antidiabetic properties of chicory, opening new prospects for plant-based health...


Kazakh Parliament Adopts 100 Laws in 2025, Introduces AI Regulation

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis has adopted 100 laws this year, including landmark legislation on artificial intelligence, Mazhilis Chairman Yerlan Koshanov said while summarizing the year’s results on...


Astana Signs Memorandum to Develop Autonomous Taxi Service

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital plans to launch an autonomous taxi service. A memorandum of cooperation on the development of autonomous taxi services was signed in the...