The figures are alarming when examined closely, although Kazakhstan seems to have grown used to them. Women in the country still live noticeably longer than men. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, women’s life expectancy has reached 79.8 years, while men’s is 72.19 years.
A gap of almost eight years has persisted for several years. In 2024, women lived on average to 79.42 years, while men lived to 71.33 years. In 2023, the figures were 79.06 and 70.99 years, respectively. The statistics are changing gradually, but the main conclusion remains the same: male mortality in Kazakhstan remains one of the country’s most visible demographic problems.
A gender gap in life expectancy is not unique to Kazakhstan – according to estimates by Our World in Data, men live shorter lives than women in every country in the world. The problem in Kazakhstan is the size of the gap. In prosperous countries, it is often three to four years. In Kazakhstan, it is about eight. Biology explains only part of this difference. The rest comes down to behavior, environment, and habits.
What the Statistics Show
At first glance, the level of alcohol consumption in Kazakhstan does not look extreme. According to WHO data, in 2022, alcohol consumption in Kazakhstan stood at 5.4 liters of pure ethanol per person over the age of 15. For comparison, the figure in Germany is about 13 liters, while in Russia it is more than 11 liters. However, the average figure is not the only thing that matters.
The statistics do not show exactly who drinks, how often, or in what circumstances.
That is why alcohol rarely appears in official statistics as a direct cause of death, but it often remains an invisible background to tragedy. Documents may list a heart attack, an injury, liver disease, or complications after poisoning, yet alcohol abuse may be a contributing factor behind many of these diagnoses.
According to the WHO, more than 3 million people worldwide die every year from diseases and consequences related to alcohol, and a significant share of these deaths are among men. Kazakhstan has also appeared in international rankings of countries with high alcohol-related mortality.
The example of Almaty is also revealing: over the course of a year, more than 6,000 cases of poisoning from alcoholic products were recorded there, around 2,000 people were hospitalized, and 23 cases ended in death. But even these data reflect only part of the problem. Alcohol may not be named as the main culprit, although it can trigger or intensify a chain of consequences, including heart disease, injuries, gastrointestinal diseases, infections, cancer, and mental disorders.
Why Men in Particular
According to the Bureau of National Statistics collection Men and Women of Kazakhstan, in 2023 there were 95 cases of alcohol-related disorders per 100,000 men, compared with 18 among women. Men suffer from these problems 5.3 times more often.
The portrait of the typical consumer is also recognizable. Most often, this is a man aged 30 to 44, with secondary or specialized secondary education, and often without steady work. In other words, the impact falls on people of the most economically active age: fathers, husbands, and workers. This makes alcohol not only a medical burden, but a demographic and economic one.
Behind the dry percentages lies a cultural mechanism that people do not usually discuss out loud. Drinking remains a way to “be a man”: to strengthen friendships, mark an occasion, or relieve tension. Turning to a doctor or psychologist is often perceived as a sign of weakness, especially among men.
This is often linked not only to personal choice, but also to the state of society as a whole. Chronic stress, uncertainty about the future, depressive states, and an unwillingness to seek help all create an environment in which alcohol becomes a quick way to “relieve tension.”
The way leisure time is organized also plays an important role. Where accessible social infrastructure such as sports clubs and cultural spaces are lacking, alcohol more easily becomes the main recourse for free time. The makes alcohol consumption more than a problem of personal responsibility: it is connected to the quality of the urban environment, the level of support available to people, and how acceptable it is in society to talk about mental health.
The Geography of the Problem
Within the country, the picture is uneven. The highest level of alcohol-related disorders among men was recorded in Zhetysu Region: 267 cases per 100,000 people. In terms of spending on alcohol, the northern and eastern regions lead: in particular East Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan, and Karaganda.
This geography overlaps closely with the mortality map. The highest life expectancy is in Almaty and Astana, at around 78 to 79 years, while the lowest is in Ulytau Region, at 73.56 years. The further one lives from major cities, with their healthcare systems and alternative forms of leisure, the shorter life becomes and the more people resort to the bottle.
A Muted Response
The state sees the problem but responds cautiously. A targeted response is coming from below: by early 2025, more than 100 settlements in three regions had voluntarily rejected the sale and consumption of alcohol. These “sober villages” are an important symbol, but so far they have had only a limited effect on the overall picture. Alcohol consumption in the country remains high.
One caveat should also be made: per capita consumption is an imperfect indicator. Comparing countries by liters per capita is not fully reliable because figures can be distorted by calculation errors and the shadow market. According to estimates, almost every fifth bottle of strong alcohol in Kazakhstan may come from gray imports or illegal production, which means the real burden on men’s health may be higher than official figures suggest.
Even so, the main barrier is not statistical, but cultural. The eight-year life expectancy gap in Kazakhstan has long been something taken for granted. As long as early male mortality is perceived as the natural order of things rather than as a solvable public health problem, the numbers will change slowly. Talking about it is the first step toward moving them.
