Living standards are improving – Head of State
"Gradual development of Kazakhstan was fixed in the results of the population census taken place in February-March this year. Final results are being defined and I can inform on preliminary data which showed significant socio-economic, demographic changes in our country for last 10 years.
Preeminently we can tell about positive changes in the living standard of our population. Cash earnings of Kazakhstan people have increased fivefold during 10 years. As a whole the population size has reached from 14.9 mln to 16.3 mln people during 10 years. This is due to increase birth rate and improvement in child mortality.
Support of the agro-cultural complex provided growth of rate of rural population. During 10 years it has increased from 44 to 46 per cent. The number of people living in large cities of Kazakhstan has also grown by 80 per cent in Astana and 20 per cent in Almaty.
The external migration process had changes as well. Over 650 thousand of people from CIS countries, China, Mongolia, Turkey and Iran have come back to Kazakhstan during last ten years. That tells about good living standard in Kazakhstan.
The number of Kazakhstan citizens has increased from 53 to 65 per cent. About 140 nations live in the country. About 70 per cent of Kazakhstan people acknowledge Islam and 20 per cent of people accept Christianity and other religions.
The main fact the population census showed is that the living standard of Kazakhstan was improved. Pensions, social reliefs have grown threefold, whereas stipends have grown sixfold. The number of automobile owners has been increased 2.5fold.
This was our main purpose when about twenty years ago we started to implement our reforms. This tells that we were on the right track", - the President said.