China leads Kazakhstan’s migration surge

China breaks migration records to Kazakhstan as Russia exits / Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

Kazakhstan is seeing its largest influx of immigrants from China in eight years. In 2025, about 2,600 people from China relocated to the country for permanent residence, a 29% increase year-on-year, according to the DataHub Telegram channel, citing the Bureau of National Statistics.

Ethnic Kazakhs dominate arrivals

Nearly all, about 99%, of those arriving from China are ethnic Kazakhs. However, most are choosing not to apply for official «kandas» status.

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That designation, which is intended for ethnic Kazakh returnees, requires recipients to settle in specific regions in the north, east or west of the country. Instead, many newcomers are opting for larger urban centers.

Roughly 70% have settled in Almaty and the surrounding Almaty and Zhetysu regions, while about a quarter have moved to Astana.

Migration trends over time

While current figures mark the highest level since 2017, they remain below earlier peaks. In 2008, for example, about 6,300 people moved to Kazakhstan from China — more than double today’s level.

Migration dropped sharply in 2021, when only 249 arrivals were recorded, but has been steadily increasing over the past two years.

Overall immigration patterns

Total immigration to Kazakhstan reached about 23,800 people in 2025.

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Uzbekistan remains the largest source of migrants, accounting for around 11,800 arrivals. Russia follows with approximately 4,700 people, though that figure represents a 41% decline compared with the previous year.