Kazakhstan, like other former republics of the USSR, has experienced a substantial migration of people out of the region since the Soviet Union broke up. Who are these migrants, and why are they leaving?

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During Soviet years, the Kazakh population grew as migrant workers from other parts of the Soviet Union came to the area to work. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking populations chose to leave Kazakhstan and return to Russia. This trend was partly due to the end of the policy of Russification, which offered language and cultural privileges to Russians within the Soviet Union. The shift in power also brought economic instability, making many people want to move to perceived more stable countries.

Kazakhstan, Like Other Former Republics of the USSR, Has Experienced