DESTINATION KAZAKHSTAN
20-year development
of the capital
According to the Head of State: “The image of the capital – is the image
of nation”. This is true. Since the time Astana was based, it has walked
the path of development from a small town to the acknowledged capital
of Kazakhstan. It is now a bright embodiment of balanced and long-
term oriented politics of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev to ensure
prosperity for our nation and the Republic.
Asset Issekeshev,
Akim of Astana
Today the country’s administration and busi-
nesses are centered in the capital. Large scale
economic, scientific, industrial and social objec-
tives are implemented here. Big projects in me-
chanical engineering, construction industry, ag-
ricultural processing are accomplished, sphere
of services, engineering and social infrastruc-
ture are expanded, thousands of working places
are created.
This year is special for us: our capital – Astana –
celebrates its 20th year anniversary.
Over the past 20 years, the gross regional prod-
uct has grown 190 times, reaching 5.8 trillion
tenge (in 1997 it was 25.7 billion tenge); this, in
terms of per capita, is 2 times higher than the
average republican figure.
The annual volume of investments increased 36
t imes to 944.6 billion tenge while it was 25.8
billion tenge back in 1997.
The key area for attracting investments is the
free economic zone known as 'Astana - new city'
with an area of more than 7,600 hectares, in
which administrative and business centers and
the Industrial Park are located.
During the years of the SEZ functioning, the
development of a new administrative and
business center and the creation of an indus-
trial framework attracted investments to the
amount of 7.4 billion USD. In the past 20 years
enormous growth has transpired in Astana: 33
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industrial projects have been put into operation,
74 administrative projects established, residen-
tial and socio-cultural establishments are being
implemented, and 16,000 jobs were created.
Incomes significantly increased throughout the
population. Thus, the average monthly nomi-
nal wage increased by 21.5 times, reaching
224,900 tenge per month. The share of the
population with incomes below the subsistence
minimum decreased 11-fold to 0.7%, whereas
in 2001 it was 7.7%.
The unemployment rate fell 2.8 times to 4.6%,
while in 1997 it was at 12.6%.
Dynamic rates of development have become a
key factor in the attractiveness of the capital
for citizens from all regions of Kazakhstan. In
general, the population of the capital increased
3.4 times and exceeds 1 million people, when
back in 1997 Astana boasted a population of
300,000.
The number of people who moved to Astana
is two times higher than the number of those
who have left. Thus, the positive balance of mi-
gration has developed at the level of 470,000
people.
The birth rate has almost tripled from 10.8
to 30.2 conventional units. At the same time,
the death rate of the population decreased
more than two times from 10 to 4.4 conven-
tional units.