One in three people who left Kyrgyzstan between 2020 and 2024 are Kyrgyz

Migration remains one of the key factors influencing the demographic picture in Kyrgyzstan. By the end of 2024, 14,700 people had arrived in the country, while only 3,500 had left. As a result, the migration increase amounted to 11,200 people — more than a year earlier.

Interestingly, in 2024, for the first time in 30 years, more people returned or came to live in Kyrgyzstan from all CIS countries than left for there.

However, emigration statistics for recent years show another side to the story. Between 2020 and 2024, 29,400 people left Kyrgyzstan to take up permanent residence abroad. Of these, 8,800, or one in three, were ethnic Kyrgyz.

The main destinations remain Russia and Kazakhstan, countries that traditionally accept a significant proportion of labour migrants and settlers. For many of those leaving, the decisive factors are employment, education and social prospects.