Interethnic relations survey - May 2011

Kazakhstan is home to more than 100 ethnic groups. This makes interethnic relations especially important for the country. The Institute of Political Solutions made a mass survey in 16 largest cities of Kazakhstan: Astana, Almaty and 14 central cities of Kazakhstan’s oblasts. 2301 people spread proportionally to the size of each city’s population were polled on May 10-14, 2011. The number of respondents viewing interethnic relations as good keeps increasing in all the regions accept Almaty and Central Kazakhstan (see Charts 1, 4 and 5). The survey revealed that Western Kazakhstan has the highest concentration of ethno-conflict potential: the level is 1.3 times higher than average (see Charts 3 and 7). Aggregate share of respondents who deny the possibility of an open interethnic conflict in Kazakhstan makes 70.8%. The sunniest moods are in the south of Kazakhstan – 83.2%. Almaty is the city with highest expectation of interethnic conflicts: 1.7 times higher than average 16%. Expectations among ethnic Russians living in Kazakhstan are 1.2 times higher than average (see Charts 2 and 6). You can see the key questions asked by the Instituted of Political Solutions at Charts 1, 2 and 3 above.