The population is estimated to be 53% ethnic Kazakhs and 30% ethnic Russians, with many other groups represented, including Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Koreans, Germans, Chechens, and Uyghurs. Thus, for an area the size of Western Europe, the population is relatively small, the population density is only about 5.5 persons per sq. km. Most of the population speaks Russian; only half of ethnic Kazakhs speak Kazakh fluently, although it is enjoying a renaissance. Both Kazakh and Russian languages have official status.
Age structure:
0-14 years:
27% (male 2,332,284; female 2,260,730)
15-64 years:
65% (male 5,320,938; female 5,638,710)
65 years and over:
8% (male 398,225; female 782,340) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.05% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 16.78 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.51 male(s)/female
total population:
0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 59.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
63.19 years
male:
57.73 years
female:
68.93 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Kazakhstani(s)
adjective:
Kazakhstani
Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 46%, Russian 34.7%, Ukrainian 4.9%, German 3.1%, Uzbek 2.3%, Tatar 1.9%, other 7.1% (1996)
Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 40%, Russian (official, used in everyday business) 66%
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
98%
male:
99%
female:
96% (1989 est.)