Kazakhstan to Adopt Single Time Zone in 2024
Kazakhstan to Establish Uniform Time Zone Across Country
The Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan has put forward a proposal to modify the government decree regarding the calculation of time in the country. The plan is to implement the fifth time zone (UTC+05.00) uniformly across Kazakhstan’s territory, as reported by the ministry’s press service.
If the proposal is approved, the transition will take place on March 1, 2024. This change will result in local time being set back one hour in cities such as Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, as well as in various regions across the country.
Currently, Kazakhstan uses two time zones: UTC+05.00 and UTC+06.00, with the latter being used in most of the country, except for the western regions.
Scientific research has shown that the current time zone in Kazakhstan does not align with natural solar time, negatively impacting biological rhythms and human health. According to expert chronobiologist Bolat Nurkhozhaev, the most optimal solution, supported by research institutes, is the transition to a single time zone (UTC+05.00) throughout the country.
It is estimated that 175 countries around the world use a single time zone, while only 22 states use two or more time zones. Currently, there are 38 time zones in use globally, with some regions being offset by only thirty or forty-five minutes.
By establishing a uniform time zone, Kazakhstan aims to better align with natural solar time and improve the overall well-being and health of its citizens.
