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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | Akmola, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Nur-Sultan | 1831 | 233,638 | 277,365 | 312,965 | 389,189 | 1,417,214 | 1 | Capital | |||||||
| Arkalyk | Арқалық Arqalyq pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 /ˈrʲidʲːɪr/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | Talas, Zhambyl, Aulie-Ata | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | Chimkent, Chernyayev | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 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 pronounced as /kk/ | 1939 | align=right | align=right | 55,500 | align=right | 47,900 | align=right | 50,128 | align=right | 47,625 | 4 | Akmola Province | |||||
| Екібастұз Ekıbastūz pronounced as /kk/ | 1957 | align=right | 65,871 | align=right | 135,006 | align=right | 137,200 | align=right | 158,165 | align=right | 152,509 | 3 | Pavlodar Region | ||||