Kazakhstan confirmed its status as the most resilient and competitive economy in the region, ranking 38th out of 70 in the updated global ranking by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). The country's overall score was 65.4, Zakon.kg reported.
Despite a slight decline in the final ranking compared to last year, the country outperformed several major economies, including Spain, Portugal, Poland, India, Italy, and Turkey.
The IMD ranking evaluates countries across more than 300 indicators grouped into four key areas: economic performance, governance effectiveness, business effectiveness, and infrastructure. Kazakhstan demonstrated strong results, ranking 23rd in governance effectiveness and business effectiveness, and moving up to 43rd in infrastructure.
Maintaining a place in the top 40 global rankings is an important signal for international investors and financial institutions. High scores for public administration and business performance confirm that the country maintains a favorable institutional climate and institutional resilience.
The rise in the "infrastructure" category reflects systematic efforts to modernize logistics, technological, and social systems, which directly impacts long-term economic growth.
In Central Asia, Kazakhstan maintains its undisputed leadership. The current IMD methodology includes countries that provide the most comprehensive and verified statistics through international organizations (the UN, IMF, and World Bank). Of all the Central Asian countries, only Kazakhstan consistently appears in this global report.
Central Asia: Neighboring Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are not yet represented in the IMD ranking, making Kazakhstan the only institutional benchmark for competitiveness in the region.
Comparative context: Kazakhstan confidently outperforms major regional player Turkey (57th place, 47.2 points), as well as dynamically developing India (44th place, 62 points), demonstrating a higher level of effectiveness of the business environment and public institutions.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 14, 2026