According to CIS Statistical Committee, Kazakhstan has been recognized as the most educated country in the CIS, El.kz reports.
Kazakhstan ranked first among CIS countries by the share of citizens with higher education.
276 out of every 1,000 Kazakhstanis over the age of 15 hold a university degree — every fourth resident of the country. Russia is in second place with 267 degree holders per 1,000 people, followed by Belarus with 266.
Kazakhstan leads among citizens aged 40–49, with 356 people per 1,000 holding a university diploma. In younger segments, Russia ranks first among those aged 30–39 (396 per 1,000), while Belarus leads the 20–29 age group (373). The lowest levels of higher education are observed in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Belarus leads in the share of people with secondary vocational education: 306 out of every 1,000 citizens have a college or equivalent diploma. In Kazakhstan, this figure is 280. Tajikistan and Armenia rank lowest in vocational education.
Russia traditionally records the largest number of university graduates — 827.6 thousand people. Uzbekistan is in second place, where the number of graduates has doubled in recent years, reaching 211.2 thousand.
In Kazakhstan, 147.4 thousand students received higher education degrees in 2024. Three years earlier, the number was 151.7 thousand.
Across the CIS, colleges and lyceums have increased their number of graduates by 11.3% since 2021, approaching 1.1 million people. Russia accounts for nearly 70% of this figure - 688 thousand graduates. Kazakhstan is in second place with 158.7 thousand mid-level specialists.
In terms of education quality, according to the international portal Worldostats, Russia leads (36th in the world with an index of 0.85). Kazakhstan follows right behind with an index of 0.82. The indicator is based on literacy levels, average years of schooling, and accessibility of educational services.
In 2024, Kazakhstan’s investments in education reached 1.1 trillion tenge - 2.4 times more than the previous year. Analysts note that such growth rates place the sector alongside science, healthcare, and social development.