Kazakhstan's women delay motherhood as careers and stability take priority
Kazakhstan's women delay motherhood as careers and stability take priority
Kazakhstan's women delay motherhood as careers and stability take priority
Kazakhstan's Women Increasingly Choosing Motherhood After 30—Sometimes Closer to 40
In the 1990s, the average age for having a first child in Kazakhstan was around 22. Today, that figure has risen to 29—a shift that reflects not just demographic change but a profound transformation in societal attitudes. More and more Kazakhstani women are delaying childbirth, prioritizing education, careers, and financial stability first.
Yet the country still maintains a relatively high birth rate—20.1 children per 1,000 people—with women, on average, giving birth to three children over their lifetimes. The difference now is when they choose to do so.
"Stability First, Then Children"
Psychologist Zhanel Iskakova explains that modern women and men are increasingly focused on building a secure foundation before starting a family:
"In the past, life followed a more predictable script—early marriage, children soon after. Today, women have more choices. They want to complete their education, establish careers, achieve financial independence, and emotional resilience. This isn't about rejecting motherhood; it's about approaching it with greater awareness and stability. There's also a growing sense of uncertainty—rising housing costs, fierce job market competition, an unstable future. All of this fuels an inner need to 'get on your feet' first. Psychologically, women want to feel secure before taking on the responsibility of raising a child.
"Beyond that, the role of women in society has evolved. Family remains important, but so do self-realization, personal boundaries, and a sense of worth beyond motherhood. For many, delayed parenthood isn't a last resort—it's a conscious decision tied to inner readiness, not just external circumstances."
This shift is also driven by greater health literacy. While pregnancy planning was rarely discussed in the past, today's women have a deeper understanding of their bodies and deliberately choose when to become mothers. Modern access to information and reproductive health services allows them to take greater control over the process.
"Biology Doesn't Always Wait"
Yet despite these social changes, physiology remains unchanged. Reproductive specialists warn that as women age, the likelihood of natural conception declines, while the risks of pregnancy complications rise.
According to experts, after age 35, women face: - A higher probability of infertility; - A greater incidence of underlying health conditions (such as diabetes or kidney disease); - An increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.
For this reason, women over 35 are advised to undergo prenatal screening to detect potential genetic issues early on.
Doctors also recommend assessing reproductive potential in advance. One key indicator is the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level: if it falls below 1, this may signal reduced fertility. In such cases, women are advised not to delay pregnancy or to consider egg freezing.
"Women's Experiences: Generational Gaps in One Body"
Women who have given birth at different ages note a marked difference. One woman, who had her first child at 23 and her last at 40, shares her story:
"In my twenties, both pregnancy and childbirth were easy. By 40, recovery took much longer, labor was more difficult, and I ended up needing a C-section. The delivery itself lasted nearly 10 hours, and afterward, I recovered bit by bit—especially since I also had kidney stones at the time."
Experts attribute this to natural processes: after 35, metabolism slows, hormonal balance shifts, and the reproductive system gradually loses efficiency. As a result, older mothers more often require medical intervention.
"A Global Trend?"
Delayed motherhood is not unique to Kazakhstan. In Europe, the average age of first-time mothers now exceeds 30, reaching around 32 in Italy and Spain. In the U.S., it has risen from 21 to 27. Across Asia—particularly in South Korea and Japan—women are increasingly having children after 30, setting new demographic records. This suggests Kazakhstan is following a worldwide shift, where motherhood is becoming a deliberate, planned life stage rather than an obligatory milestone of early adulthood.
"Medicine Expands Opportunities"
Advances in reproductive technology are giving women more options to become mothers later in life. Since 2021, Kazakhstan's Ansagan Säbi program has increased IVF quotas fivefold.
Today, available options include: - In vitro fertilization (IVF) - Intrauterine insemination - Egg freezing - Preimplantation genetic testing - Donor cells and surrogacy
"Awareness vs. Time"
Late motherhood is a balance of opportunities and constraints. On one hand, women approach childbirth with greater awareness, financial stability, and life experience. On the other, biological clocks keep ticking, and while medicine has made progress, it cannot always fully offset age-related risks. The key question today is no longer "When is the right time to have a child?" but "How prepared is a woman—physically, psychologically, and socially?" And in this choice, mindfulness is increasingly winning out, even if it arrives later than tradition once dictated.