Market Research Companies in Kazakhstan

Key figures for researchers

Population

20,495,975 (1 January 2026)¹

Urban and rural population

13.03 million urban, 7.47 million rural (1 January 2026)¹

Largest cities

Almaty 2.35m, Astana 1.64m, Shymkent 1.29m (1 January 2026)¹

2021 census

19,186,015 people, 61.2% urban (1 September 2021)²

Children

29.4% of the population aged 0 to 15 (2021 census)²

Ethnic composition

Kazakhs 70.4% (13.4 million), Russians 2.9 million, Uzbeks 614,000 (2021 census)⁴

Kazakh language

80.1% of people aged 5 and over are proficient (2021 census)³

Internet users

93.4% of individuals (2024)⁷

Mobile subscriptions

127 per 100 people (2024)⁸

GDP per capita

about US$14,700 (2025)⁹

Research guide

Research landscape

Almaty, with 2.35 million residents on 1 January 2026, is the main business centre of Kazakhstan, followed by Astana, the capital (1.64 million), and Shymkent (1.29 million). Karaganda is another large urban centre often added to city samples. Full-service agencies work alongside specialist qualitative and B2B firms, CATI studios, regional field networks and online panel providers.

A common quality reference is the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, revised in 2025 (fifth edition) and endorsed by over 60 associations in more than 50 countries. Its principles include honesty and transparency, care for participants, and clear information on how personal data will be used and protected.

Languages and fieldwork

Kazakh is the state language. At the 2021 census, 80.1% of people aged 5 and over said they were proficient in Kazakh, and 35.1% (6.04 million people) said they knew English. Russian is also in official use: under the new Constitution approved by referendum on 15 March 2026 and in force since 1 July 2026, it is used alongside Kazakh, and the text itself is published in both languages with equal legal force. Most consumer studies offer the questionnaire in both Kazakh and Russian and let respondents choose.

The country has 17 regions and 3 cities of republican significance (Almaty, Astana and Shymkent) since 2022. At the 2021 census, 61.2% of people lived in urban areas, and people aged 60 and over were 13% of the population. A national sample therefore needs quotas by region and settlement type; many studies cover the three largest cities first, then add regional centres.

Which methods work

Connectivity is high: 93.4% of individuals use the internet and there are 127 mobile subscriptions per 100 people (2024). Online surveys are widely used for urban consumer research, and mobile-friendly questionnaires in both languages are essential.

With 7.47 million people in rural areas on 1 January 2026, online samples can under-represent villages, smaller towns and older people. Telephone (CATI) and face-to-face interviews remain used for these audiences, for B2B decision makers and for regional studies. In-person focus groups are usually held in Almaty and Astana.

Timing

Nauryz (21–23 March) is the main spring holiday. In 2027, Nauryz runs from Sunday 21 to Tuesday 23 March, with Wednesday 24 March as a day off in lieu. The New Year break runs from 1 to 4 January 2027, and 7 January (Orthodox Christmas) is also a public holiday.

Other 2027 holidays include 8 March, 1 May (with 3 May off), 7 May, 9 May (with 10 May off), 6 July, 25 October and 16 December. Kurban Ait is a public holiday whose date follows the Islamic calendar (provisionally 16 May 2027), and Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February 2027. Check the government’s official list of transferred days off for 2027 before fixing fieldwork dates.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Law “On Personal Data and its Protection” No. 94-V of 21 May 2013, supervised by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. Article 12 requires personal data to be stored in a database located on the territory of Kazakhstan. Since 1 July 2024, personal data security breaches must be reported to the ministry. In 2026, amendments changed the definition of personal data (from 11 July 2026) and set new rules on publicly available data and on registers of breaches and processing (from 25 August 2026); publishing one’s own data does not, in itself, count as consent to its further processing.

In May 2026, a draft government decree was being discussed that would ease mandatory local storage and allow broader cross-border transfers; until such changes are adopted, the localisation rule applies. Ask your agency where survey data is stored, how consent is collected, and what anonymised data will be shared with you outside Kazakhstan.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, regions and city sizes, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask whether the agency follows the ICC/ESOMAR International Code and how interviews are checked.
• Ask which panels or fieldwork suppliers will be used, and how regional and rural audiences will be reached.
• Check that the questionnaire is available in Kazakh and Russian, and that both versions are checked by native speakers.
• Check that personal data is stored in Kazakhstan as required by Law No. 94-V, and agree in writing what anonymised data you will receive.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.