How many Kazakhs have returned to their historical homeland since 1991

Tengrinews.kz – The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan has shared data on the number of Kazakhs who have returned to their historical homeland since 1991.

"In 2024, 16,535 ethnic Kazakhs returned to their historical homeland and obtained kandas status. Since 1991, a total of 1,144,900 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to the republic," the statement reads.

It was noted that 45.9% of kandas who arrived in Kazakhstan this year came from China, 39.2% from Uzbekistan, 5.8% from Mongolia, 5.2% from Turkmenistan, 2.8% from Russia, and 1.1% from other countries.
As of November 1, 2024, 57.4% of the ethnic migrants are of working age, 33.2% are minors, and 9.4% are retirees.
Among working-age kandas, 17.8% have higher education, 24.8% have specialized secondary education, 54.4% have general secondary education, and 3% have no formal education.
The arriving ethnic Kazakhs have settled in various regions of the republic. The relocation quota for kandas in designated settlement regions for 2024 is set at 3,033 people. As of November 1, 2024, 2,841 kandas have relocated to these regions.
It was previously reported that kandas and internal migrants in Kazakhstan will no longer be allowed to work outside their designated settlement regions, except for shift workers. These new migration rules were developed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.