Abstract
The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the history of population censuses in Western Kazakhstan – from the first imperial statistical observations to modern national censuses during the period of independence. It examines the processes of formation and institutional development of census-taking, the evolution of accounting methods, changes in organizational approaches, and the degree of population coverage in various historical periods. Particular attention is paid to the influence of political, socio-economic, migration, and cultural factors on the population size, ethnic structure, spatial distribution, and level of urbanization in the region. Key demographic changes during the imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods are analyzed, as are the consequences of wars, reforms, collectivization, deportations, and socio-economic transformations. Methodological problems of comparing data from different periods, including the shortcomings of accounting for the nomadic population, are considered separately. Based on a comparative analysis of local and general census data, long-term trends in the transformation of the demographic structure of Western Kazakhstan have been identified. The results obtained provide a deeper understanding of the historical foundations of the region's population formation and the current trends in its demographic development.