Shymkent is the third most populous and the first city in Kazakhstan by area, one of its largest industrial, commercial and cultural centers; it forms the second most populous agglomeration of the country.
Until June 19, 2018, it was the administrative center of the former South Kazakhstan (now Turkestan) region.
Square
1170 sq. km.
Neighboring regions and countries:
Climatic conditions
Geographical data
Shymkent (until September 8, 1992, Shymkent; kaz. Shymkent is a city in the south of Kazakhstan, one of the three cities of the country that have the status of republican significance; it is a separate administrative-territorial unit (the 17th region of the republic), which is not part of the surrounding region.
Population 1 274 296
(June, 2025)
GRP 107,7%
(for 2024 to the previous year)
Inflation 7,4%
(for January 2025, increase)
Average monthly salary 321 408
tenge/618$ (for Q1 2025, 1$ = 520 tenge)
Gross inflow of direct investments $27
million (for the first quarter of 2025)
Trade turnover $695,8
million (for January April 2025)
*Excluding small businesses engaged in entrepreneurial activities.