South Korea to Help Kazakhstan Forecast Demographic Change

Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics will work with researchers from Seoul National University to study demographic change and develop population forecasts for government planning, Orda.kz reports.

The Bureau and Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health signed a memorandum covering cooperation in demography, statistics and public health.

One focus will be the Bureau’s Center for Analysis and Forecasting of Demographic Processes. Researchers will work to improve forecasting methods, strengthen demographic expertise and apply international practices to Kazakhstan’s long-term social policy.

After the signing, Seoul National University professor Youngtae Cho gave a lecture on the use of population projections in government planning.

The need for accurate forecasts is already apparent in Kazakhstan’s internal migration figures. The country’s population grew by only 63,000 during the first four months of 2026. At the same time, several regions continued to lose residents, while Astana, Almaty and Shymkent expanded. Turkestan Region lost more than 13,000 people to migration, while Astana recorded a net inflow of 23,000.

High housing costs also shape demographic trends. Expensive homes make relocation more difficult and can influence young families’ decisions about having children, particularly in rapidly growing cities.

Population forecasts are also needed to calculate future social spending. Under the proposed new health insurance model, financial obligations would be estimated using population size, disease patterns and advances in medical technology.

Labor and income policy also depends on such projections. The government is considering raising the minimum wage from ₸85,000 to ₸150,000. Any increase would affect pension contributions, social payments and health insurance contributions.

Original author: Alexander Zhdanov

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