Kazakhstan tops Central Asia in prosperity ranking

The British think tank Legatum Institute has published the latest edition of the Prosperity Index. The ranking evaluates countries across dozens of indicators, ranging from economic performance to citizens’ personal freedoms. The full methodology is available on the official Prosperity Index website, El.kz reports.

Kazakhstan ranked 66th globally, making it the highest-ranked country among the post-Soviet states of Central Asia.

The country’s results can be viewed directly on its official Prosperity Index profile.

Kyrgyzstan placed 87th, while Uzbekistan ranked lower at 94th.

Turkmenistan was the lowest-ranked country in the region, placing 150th. The gap between Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian countries widened noticeably this year.

Over the years, Kazakhstan has reached as high as 63rd place, which remains its best-ever performance in the index. Its lowest ranking was 82nd. Across all years of participation, the country’s average position has been around 72nd.

What the Index Measures

The Prosperity Index is built around three major pillars. The first covers the economy and quality of life. The second measures personal freedoms, while the third assesses the state of society and the strength of social connections within a country.

Each pillar includes dozens of individual indicators, such as healthcare, education, and the investment climate. Legatum Institute publishes a detailed breakdown for Kazakhstan each year alongside the updated global rankings.

Legatum Institute is widely regarded as a leading research organization working at the intersection of economics and sociology. The Prosperity Index has been published annually since 2007 and currently covers 167 countries worldwide.

The index’s methodology is used by analysts at the World Bank and the OECD when preparing their own country assessments. Recognition by these major international institutions distinguishes the Prosperity Index from less well-known measures of national prosperity.

Kazakhstan’s Progress in Recent Years

Since 2011, Kazakhstan has climbed 17 places in the rankings. The country’s greatest improvement has been in healthcare, where its progress over the past decade has been the strongest among all index categories.

Legatum Institute analysts also highlight Kazakhstan’s consistently strong performance in educationand economic quality. These two areas have remained among the country’s key strengths over recent years.