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What is the capital of Kazakhstan?

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The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana

Astana stands on the Ishim river on the flat, semi-arid steppe of northern Kazakhstan, and is the second-coldest national capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar.

Astana is the capital and seat of government of Kazakhstan, a role it has held since 1997. Kazakhstan itself has an estimated population of 20,843,754 (2025).

Astana is not the largest city in Kazakhstan. That is Almaty, which makes Kazakhstan one of the countries whose capital is not their biggest city.

Astana at a glance

City population1,622,245 (2025)
Country🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
Capital since1997
Largest city in KazakhstanAlmaty
Time zoneUTC+05:00
CurrencyKazakhstani tenge (KZT)

About Astana

Astana has been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997, Astana became Kazakhstan's capital in December 1997, replacing Almaty, and was rapidly rebuilt as a modern planned capital; it was renamed Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022 before reverting to Astana.

Almaty, still the country's largest city, was Kazakhstan's capital until the seat of government moved to Astana in 1997.

Astana is Kazakhstan's second-largest city, after the former capital Almaty in the south.

It was rebuilt from a modest provincial town into a showcase of striking modern architecture after becoming the capital.

City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Astana.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Kazakhstan?
The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana.
Is Astana the largest city in Kazakhstan?
No. The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana, but the largest city is Almaty. Almaty was the capital until 1997, when Kazakhstan moved the capital north to what is now Astana. Almaty is still the largest city.
What is the population of Astana?
Astana has a population of about 1,622,245 (2025).
Where is Astana located?
Astana stands on the Ishim river on the flat, semi-arid steppe of northern Kazakhstan, and is the second-coldest national capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar.
When did Astana become the capital of Kazakhstan?
Astana has been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997, Astana became Kazakhstan's capital in December 1997, replacing Almaty, and was rapidly rebuilt as a modern planned capital; it was renamed Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022 before reverting to Astana.
What was the capital of Kazakhstan before Astana?
Almaty, still the country's largest city, was Kazakhstan's capital until the seat of government moved to Astana in 1997.
What time zone is Astana in?
Astana uses UTC+05:00.
What currency is used in Astana?
Astana, like the rest of Kazakhstan, uses the Kazakhstani tenge (KZT, symbol ₸).

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capital of ChinaCapital of KyrgyzstanCapital of RussiaCapital of TurkmenistanCapital of Uzbekistan

See the full profile of Kazakhstan on its country page, or browse every capital city.

Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.