The housing stock increased more than twofold in Astana and Almaty, and also expanded rapidly in regions with strong economic and demographic growth, such as Atyrau, Kyzylorda and Mangystau. The average housing area per person increased throughout Kazakhstan. However, there are spatial inequalities: the residents of Astana and Almaty City have more housing space per person than the national average, and Astana is now well above the national average (with 28.5 square metres per capita, compared to the national average of 23.8 square metres). By contrast, residents of poorer cities such as Taraz, or in cities experiencing rapid population growth, such as Zhanaojen, have on average less housing space per capita (18.9 and 16.4 square metres per capita respectively) than the national average.