Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. The United Nations groups it under the Asia region and the Central Asia subregion. Its UN M49 code is 398, its ISO alpha-2 code is KZ, and its ISO alpha-3 code is KAZ. Kazakhstan is a UN member state, and the World Bank capital field lists Astana. These identifiers come from the UN Statistics Division’s M49 standard, which is a statistical grouping, not a political or territorial claim. The M49 overview ( defines how countries and areas are organised for data purposes; it does not adjudicate sovereignty, borders, or naming disputes.

Stable identifiers at a glance

Attribute	Value	Source
UN M49 code	398	UN Statistics Division
ISO alpha-2	KZ	ISO 3166-1
ISO alpha-3	KAZ	ISO 3166-1
UN region	Asia	UN M49
UN subregion	Central Asia	UN M49
UN membership	Member state	UN M49
World Bank capital field	Astana	World Bank country API

The M49 grouping is a data-organisation label, not a political statement. Kazakhstan is listed under Central Asia in the UN M49 standard, and that label is used for statistical convenience. It implies no judgement about territory or geopolitics. The World Bank API returns the official country code, region, income level, and capital. The capital field currently lists Astana; confirm the current capital before citing because administrative capitals can change through domestic legislation.

Fixed classification facts

These identifiers are set by international standards and do not change with elections or statistical revisions:

• UN M49 code: 398
• ISO alpha-2: KZ
• ISO alpha-3: KAZ
• UN region: Asia
• UN subregion: Central Asia
• UN membership: Member state
• World Bank capital field: Astana
• Reference: UN Statistics Division M49 classification and World Bank country API.

Note: UN M49 is a statistical grouping, not a political or territorial claim. Groupings such as “Central Asia” are for data convenience and do not imply any judgement about sovereignty or borders.

Country basics

Kazakhstan is a landlocked nation in Central Asia. The UN lists it in the region Asia, subregion Central Asia, and it is a UN member state. The World Bank capital field lists Astana as the capital.

For current population, the United Nations Population Division publishes annual estimates (World Population Prospects). The World Bank’s country API returns population, GNI per capita, and income grouping, all tied to a reference year. Do not treat any single figure as permanent. The latest official census and the most recent UN or World Bank revision may differ by several hundred thousand people. Every source carries a distinct collection date and methodology. For Kazakhstan, the national statistical office (Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan) is the primary source for census and demographic data. The World Bank API at returns the country code, region, income level, and capital city. The capital field currently lists Astana, but always verify against the API response, which is updated by the World Bank.

For the official name and current government structure, use the UN member state profile or the national government portal.

Population

Population figures change between censuses and estimates. The UN Population Division publishes annual estimates. The World Bank uses its own statistical cycle. As of the latest World Bank data (reference year 2023), Kazakhstan’s population was approximately 19.9 million. This is an estimate, not a census count. The official census and intercensal estimates come from the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan. For the current figure, check the World Bank API at or the national statistics site. Always note the reference year. Population data is a projection between censuses and undercounts mobile or remote populations. The UN M49 overview is the standard for statistical grouping, not for population counts.

Classification facts

Field	Value	Source / note
UN M49 code	398	UN M49 overview
ISO alpha-2	KZ	ISO 3166-1
ISO alpha-3	KAZ	ISO 3166-1
UN region	Asia	UN M49
UN subregion	Central Asia	UN M49
UN member state	Yes	UN member since 2 March 1992
World Bank capital field	Astana	World Bank country API

The classification facts above are stable identifiers. They do not make a political or territorial claim about the status of any area. The UN M49 overview at defines the regional grouping. The World Bank API at returns the capital field and other standard attributes. Reference year for the classification block: 2025 (UN M49 and World Bank API structure as documented).

How to verify current data for Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s population, currency, and government figures change over time. Do not freeze them in a reference page. The two primary sources to consult are the UN Statistics Division and the World Bank.

UN M49 overview

The page at defines Kazakhstan’s statistical grouping: UN M49 code 398, ISO alpha-2 KZ, ISO alpha-3 KAZ, UN region Asia, UN subregion Central Asia, and UN member state status. It does not define political borders or territorial claims. It is a statistical geography standard.

World Bank country API

Use the API at to pull the current official country name, capital, region, income level, and lending category. The API returns JSON with metadata. The reference year for each indicator is embedded in the response. Do not copy a single number from a cached page without checking its reference year.

One fact no competitor can copy

Kazakhstan’s UN M49 code 398 places it in Central Asia for statistical purposes only, and the World Bank capital field returns Astana regardless of any domestic relocation debate–making the stable identifier table the single reference block that stays correct even when headlines change.