Digital Generation: Content consumption patterns in Kazakhstan and strategic implications for the media sector

Social media penetration in Kazakhstan has exceeded 80% of the population.

Within a few years, the country has transitioned from a traditional media  centered on television and print to becoming one of the most digitally integrated economies in the region. TikTok’s reach now surpasses that of linear television, YouTube is increasingly consumed via Smart TVs, and traditional media outlets are experiencing a steady decline in youth engagement. In this article El.kz analyzes current consumption modalities and the subsequent structural shifts within the media market.

Fundamental Indicators Baseline statistics reflect a nation with high and accelerating levels of digital penetration. As of early 2025, Kazakhstan recorded 19.2 million internet users, representing 92.9% of the total population. Active social media accounts reached 15.7 million (75.7% of the population), marking an 11.2% year-on-year increase (1.6 million individuals). Simultaneously, mobile connectivity reached 26.6 million subscriptions, equivalent to 128% of the population.

By early 2026, these dynamics further accelerated. The social media user base surpassed 16.9 million over 80% of the population with an annual growth of nearly two million users. The average mobile internet speed at the end of 2024 stood at 53.7 Mbps, a 51% increase compared to the previous year. This suggests that the market has moved beyond "high penetration" into a state of market saturation, where competition is no longer focused on reach, but on user engagement and attention share.

Strategic Competition: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube

According to TikTok’s advertising metrics from early 2025, the platform reached 15.7 mln users over the age of 18 in Kazakhstan, securing the top position in terms of audience size. By late 2025, per DataReportal 2026, TikTok’s adult audience reached 16.9 mln approximately 86% of all internet users in the country. The platform has evolved beyond entertainment; a substantial portion of its content now comprises news, educational programming, and public discourse, frequently in the Kazakh language.

Instagram maintains its status as the high-impact platform for audience interaction. Meta’s data from early 2025 indicated 12.4 mln users in Kazakhstan, growing to 13.1 million (63% of the population) by the end of the year. More than 90% of Kazakhstani internet users over 18 access Instagram at least monthly. Women constitute over half of the audience and demonstrate the highest engagement rates.

YouTube occupies a unique position, ranking as the second most-reached platform in the country after the Kaspi ecosystem application. It reaches 86% of internet users over 18. Crucially, YouTube integrates both short-form and long-form content: in Q1 2025, YouTube Shorts views in Kazakhstan increased fivefold year-on-year, while 2024 saw a doubling of YouTube consumption on television screens. Currently, 65% of authenticated users consume both Shorts and long-form videos weekly.

The audience is gender-balanced (53% female, 47% male), with the core demographic concentrated in the 25–44 age segment.

Facebook maintains a stable with of 2.6 million users. LinkedIn saw a 21% increase, reaching 1.7 million users, reflecting significant growth among professional networking platforms. A new platform, Meta’s Threads, reported 1.85 million users by late 2025, with 59% being female.

Messaging Apps as Media Channels

The role of instant messaging services specifically Telegram within the national information space warrants particular attention. Telegram has transcended its role as a personal communication tool to function as a comprehensive news conduit, a platform for public debate, and an instrument of political communication. According to Brand Analytics (August 2025), Telegram channels remain among the most active content sources in Kazakhstan, despite a slight seasonal decrease in author activity during the summer months.

Sociological data from Demoscope confirms that social media, web-based resources, and television remain the primary sources of news, while print media and radio have become the least utilized channels. However, interpersonal trust remains a critical factor: audiences are primarily inclined to trust their immediate social circles - relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

Youth Demographics: Social Media Displacing Television Media consumption patterns among the youth diverge radically from traditional models. The "Youth of Kazakhstan – 2024" analytical report by the "Zhastar" Research Center indicates that social media is the second most popular leisure activity for young people. Approximately 66.2% of respondents use them regularly, 21.5% occasionally, and less than 2% reported no usage. Industry research presented at the Central Asia Fashion conference highlights that entertainment-oriented information is the primary content type consumed by Kazakhstani youth. Traditional media television, press, and radio hold significantly less appeal for this demographic. However, a "trust paradox" persists: while new media are more popular, traditional sources are still perceived as more reliable. Young people gravitate toward official information but consume it through unofficial channels.

Furthermore, there is a sustained linguistic shift in content consumption. Market research shows that preference for Kazakh-language content ranges from 47% to 75% depending on the channel. While Russian remains prevalent online, the share of Kazakh-language content is consistently increasing across all platforms. This transition is further supported by state language policy: starting in 2025, television and radio broadcasters are mandated to provide at least 55% of airtime in the state language, rising to 60% by 2027.

The Dominance of Short-Form Content A consistent trend across all studies is the rapid dominance of short-form video over long-form formats. The fivefold increase in YouTube Shorts views is not an isolated phenomenon but reflects a global shift. According to the DataReportal Global Overview 2026, the global social media user base reached 5.66 billion by 2025, nearly doubling in less than 11 years, with short-form video serving as the primary growth driver.

TikTok and YouTube Shorts have established a format that fundamentally alters the logic of media consumption: users no longer seek content; instead, content "finds" the user via algorithmic distribution. This results in attention fragmentation and an increase in the consumption of "incidental" content, while reducing the share of intentional viewing of traditional long-form formats such as news bulletins and documentaries. In Kazakhstan, the continued demand for long-form content among 65% of YouTube users suggests a hybrid consumption model rather than the total abandonment of traditional formats.

Implications for Traditional Media These trends have tangible consequences for Kazakhstan’s traditional media market. Although digital terrestrial broadcasting coverage exceeds 95% and internet access stands at 93.4%, television and print media are steadily losing their youth audience share. Moreover, the advertising market has decisively shifted in favor of digital platforms. In the first half of 2025, Kazakhstan’s total advertising market grew by 17% to 27 billion tenge, with digital advertising accounting for nearly 14 billion tenge - a 29% year-on-year increase. Digital advertising remains the fastest-growing market segment.

Concurrently, the structure of media consumption is undergoing a transformation: the boundary between "institutional media" and "user-generated content" is becoming increasingly blurred. Influencers on YouTube and TikTok now rival established newsrooms in reach, while Telegram channels often exceed news agencies in the speed of dissemination.

Data from Brand Analytics (August 2025) shows that over five million users follow Kazakhstani accounts on Instagram monthly, while TikTok boasts 493,000 active content creators. This signifies that nearly half a million Kazakhstanis are actively producing, rather than merely consuming, content. This represents a fundamental shift: media consumption is no longer a passive process.

The Kazakhstani user increasingly functions simultaneously as a reader, author, and distributor, redefining the concept of an "audience" and challenging traditional media to reassess not only their formats but their fundamental operational models.