The following is a list of cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Kazakhstan. The names of many places have been changed during the last century, sometimes more than once. Wherever possible, the old names have been included and linked to the new ones.
| Insignia | Name English | Name Kazakh | Previous name | City since | 1979 | 1989 | 1999 | recent accounts | Status | Province |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aktau | Ақтау | Shevchenko | 1963 | 0 | 159245 | 143396 | 180373 | 2 | Mangystau Province | |
| Aktobe | Ақтөбе | Aktubinsk | 1880 | 190569 | 253532 | 253088 | 285507 | 2 | Aktobe Province | |
| Almaty | Алматы | Verniy, Верный, Alma-Ata, Алма́-Ата́ | 1867 | 909644 | 1127884 | 1129356 | 1328362 | 1 | Capital 1929 - 1997 | |
| Arkalyk | Арқалық | 1965 | 47963 | 62367 | 45700 | 56614 | 4 | Kostanay Province | ||
| Astana | Астана | Akmola, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd | 1831 | 233638 | 277365 | 312965 | 389189 | 1 | Capital | |
| Atyrau | Атырау | Guryev | 1885 | 130916 | 149261 | 142497 | 158308 | 2 | Atyrau province | |
| Baikonur | Байқоңыр | Lenninsk | 1969 | 74700 | 60200 | 59452 | 1 | |||
| Balqash | Балқаш | 1937 | 78145 | 86742 | 81100 | 86897 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||
| Zhezkazgan | Жезқазған | Dzhezkazgan | 1954 | 89200 | 107053 | 103400 | 112154 | 3 | Karagandy Province | |
| Karagandy | Қарағанды | 1934 | 571877 | 507318 | 436864 | 451800 | 2 | Karagandy Province | ||
| Kentau | Кентау | 1955 | 62991 | 63784 | 58100 | 60799 | 4 | South Kazakhstan Province | ||
| Kyzylorda | Қызылорда | 1867 | 156128 | 150425 | 157364 | 182929 | 2 | Kyzylorda Province | ||
| Kokshetau | Көкшетау | Kokchetav | 1862 | 103162 | 135424 | 123389 | 132753 | 2 | Akmola Province | |
| Kostanay | Қостанай | Kustanay | 1893 | 164500 | 223558 | 221429 | 249395 | 2 | Kostanay Province | |
| Zhanaozen | Жаңаөзен | Noviy Uzen' | 1968 | 34000 | 48300 | 51100 | 60796 | 3 | Mangystau Province | |
| Pavlodar | Павлодар | 1861 | 272895 | 329681 | 320400 | 354809 | 2 | Pavlodar Province | ||
| Petropavl | Петропавл | Petropavlovsk | 1807 | 206559 | 239606 | 216300 | 208547 | 2 | North Kazakhstan Province | |
| Ridder | Риддер | 1934 | 68135 | 68730 | 56269 | 54252 | 3 | East Kazakhstan Province | ||
| Saran | Сараң | 1954 | 54878 | 63900 | 48500 | 49082 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||
| Satpayev | Сәтбаев | 1973 | 48700 | 59343 | 62900 | 73874 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||
| Semey | Семей | Alash-kala, Semipalatinsk | 1782 | 282574 | 317112 | 292500 | 312136 | 3 | East Kazakhstan Province | |
| Stepnogorsk | Степногорск | 1964 | 46700 | 63300 | 50900 | 47705 | 3 | Akmola Province | ||
| Taldykorgan | Талдықорған | 1944 | 87948 | 118623 | 107100 | 114728 | 2 | Almaty Province | ||
| Taraz | Тараз | Talas, Zhambyl, Aulie-Ata | 263793 | 303961 | 330125 | 398233 | 2 | Jambyl Province | ||
| Temirtau | Теміртау | 1945 | 213026 | 213551 | 181800 | 179520 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||
| Turkistan | Түркістан | 66741 | 77692 | 87600 | 109673 | 3 | South Kazakhstan Province | |||
| Oral | Орал | Uralsk | 1613 | 167352 | 199522 | 212900 | 255489 | 2 | West Kazakhstan Province | |
| Oskemen | Өскемен | Ust'-Kamenogorsk | 1868 | 274287 | 322221 | 310950 | 344421 | 2 | East Kazakhstan Province | |
| Shymkent | Шымкент | Chimkent | 321535 | 380091 | 390200 | 454583 | 2 | South Kazakhstan Province | ||
| Shahtinsk | Шахтинск | 1961 | 50382 | 65600 | 54800 | 54748 | 3 | Karagandy Province | ||
| Shuchinsk | Щучинск | 1939 | 55500 | 47900 | 50128 | 4 | Akmola Province | |||
| Ekibastuz | Екібастуз | 1957 | 65871 | 135006 | 137200 | 158165 | 3 | Pavlodar Province |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list and/or cities:
“The advice of their elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books.”
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (18411935)
“Sheathey call him Scholar Jack
Went down the list of the dead.
Officers, seamen, gunners, marines,
The crews of the gig and yawl,
The bearded man and the lad in his teens,
Carpenters, coal-passersall.”
—Joseph I. C. Clarke (18461925)
“Just as language has no longer anything in common with the thing it names, so the movements of most of the people who live in cities have lost their connexion with the earth; they hang, as it were, in the air, hover in all directions, and find no place where they can settle.”
—Rainer Maria Rilke (18751926)