Kazakhstan Administrative Divisions

Kazakhstan is divided into 4 independent cities (Город) and 19 provinces (Области), which form the top-level administrative units. These are further divided into 36 cities (Город) and 163 districts (Pайоны). Major independent cities include Abay, Akmola, and Aktobe.

Kazakhstan has 2 administrative levels. Level 1: 4 independent cities (Город) and 19 provinces (Области). Level 2: 36 cities (Город) and 163 districts (Pайоны).

Kazakhstan operates on a 2‑level system starting with 21 provinces, followed by cities, 8 districts as the smallest administrative units. Note that Almaty, Astana, Baikonur, and 1 others do not have sub-divisions at the next level.

In Kazakhstan, independent cities and provinces both sit at administrative level 1 but serve different functions. Independent cities (город) — there are 4 — are typically a larger city or urban area that govern itself independently. Provinces (области) — there are 19 — group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration.

Kazakh administrative divisions have specific local names at each level. In Russian and Kazakh, independent cities are called Город; provinces are called Области; cities are called Город; districts are called Pайоны. These local-language terms appear in official documents, legal records, and government databases, so matching them correctly is important for data integration and compliance.

Administrative boundaries in Kazakhstan change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the cities level, where Kazakhstan currently has 199 units. Businesses that rely on Kazakh administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.