Kyrgyzstan Rate of Natural Increase

Kyrgyzstan’s rate of natural increase (RNI)—the difference between its crude birth rate and crude death rate—remains relatively high compared to many of its neighbors. As of recent estimates, Kyrgyzstan’s RNI hovers around 1.5% per year, reflecting a youthful population with a birth rate significantly higher than its death rate. In contrast, Kazakhstan and Russia, to the north, have lower RNIs; Kazakhstan’s is about 1.2%, while Russia’s is near zero or even negative, due to lower birth rates and higher mortality. To the south, Uzbekistan exhibits a slightly higher RNI than Kyrgyzstan, around 1.7%, driven by even higher fertility rates. Meanwhile, Tajikistan, another southern neighbor, has one of the highest RNIs in the region at approximately 2.3%. These differences highlight demographic trends: Kyrgyzstan, like most Central Asian countries, continues to experience population growth, but at a moderate pace compared to the rapid increases in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and much faster than the stagnating or declining populations of Russia and, to a lesser extent, Kazakhstan.

Data from US Census International Database