The number of people getting married in Kazakhstan has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
In the first quarter of this year, 21,600 marriages were registered in the country, which is 3.9% less than in the same period last year. The number of divorces, on the contrary, is increasing. In January-March of this year, 11,200 marriages were dissolved. In the same period last year, 10,200 families divorced. This is the highest figure in the last seven years.
The overall divorce rate is rising worldwide, with Japan leading last year. The majority of marriages and divorces in Kazakhstan occur in urban areas. In the first quarter of 2026, 14,500 marriages were registered in cities and 7,100 in rural areas. Over the year, the number of marriages in cities decreased by 1.4%, and in rural areas by 8.8%.
Divorces also prevail in urban areas. In January-March of this year, 8,400 divorces were recorded in cities and 2,800 in rural areas. The most marriages were registered in Almaty, Astana, and Turkistan region. In West Kazakhstan and Kyzylorda regions, on the contrary, very few people got married. As for divorces, the leaders are Ulytau, Kostanay, and Karaganda regions. In Turkistan region, divorces are very few.