Tengrinews.kz - A total of 80 villages have disappeared from the map of Kazakhstan over the past two years, deputy Zhiguli Dairabayev said during a roundtable discussion on rural development in the Mazhilis.
Citing official data, Dairabayev noted that as of October 1 last year, 37.2 percent of Kazakhstan’s population lived in rural areas.
"This figure decreases every year. Currently, there are 6,208 villages in Kazakhstan, whereas in 2023, there were 6,286. Thus, 80 villages have vanished in just two years. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the net migration balance in rural areas last year was minus 111,400 people," Dairabayev stated.
The deputy highlighted that this is the lowest figure in the past 25 years.
"Except for Almaty and Atyrau regions, all other regions recorded negative migration balances. The situation in the Turkestan region is particularly concerning, as 29,200 people have left," he added.
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