According to Ranking calculations based on UN data, by 2050 Uzbekistan will become the most urbanized country in Central Asia. Forecasts suggest that 54.6% of the republic’s population will live in large cities, while in Kazakhstan this figure will be 51%.
By that time, Uzbekistan’s rural population share is expected to remain the lowest in the region—around 8.7%. In Kazakhstan, by contrast, the rural population share is projected to become the highest in Central Asia, reaching 18.7%.
Based on 2025 results, in Central Asia 41.1% of the population lived in large cities, 41.6% in small and medium-sized towns, and 17.3% in rural areas.
That year, Kazakhstan led the region in urbanization: 45.3% of the population lived in large cities, 32.2% in small and medium-sized towns, and 22.4% in rural areas.
Uzbekistan ranked second in the region in 2025: 43.8% of the population lived in large cities and 43.4% in small and medium-sized towns. The rural population share was the lowest in Central Asia at 12.8%.
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