ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranks 60th out of 193 countries and territories in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This marks an improvement of seven positions compared to last year.
Photo credit: The Astana Times
With an HDI of 0.837, Kazakhstan remains among the countries with a very high level of human development, says the report released on May 6.
According to the Economic Research Institute, the improvement in Kazakhstan’s ranking was driven by several factors: life expectancy increased from 69.5 to 74.4 years, per capita income rose from $22,587 to $30,989, and the average length of education reached 12.5 years.
From 1990 to 2023, Kazakhstan’s HDI increased by 21.5% (from 0.689 to 0.837). However, when adjusted for inequality, the HDI drops to 0.766, indicating a loss of 8.5%. This shows that rising inequality leads to greater losses in human development.
“Kazakhstan is demonstrating steady progress in human development, but the persistent level of inequality and increasing pressure on natural resources point to the need for fairer and more sustainable solutions. The UNDP in Kazakhstan remains a reliable partner in implementing the country’s national development priorities, ensuring no one is left behind,” said Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.
Regarding gender aspects, as reflected in the Gender Inequality Index (GII), which measures disparities in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity, Kazakhstan ranks 50th out of 172 assessed countries, with a score of 0.182.
Since 2020, the HDI has also incorporated two additional indicators—carbon dioxide emissions and resource intensity—highlighting how development outcomes would change if human well-being and reduced environmental impact were treated as key elements of progress.
Kazakhstan’s HDI, adjusted for the pressure of human activity on the planet, is also lower than the standard HDI and stands at 0.687, which is slightly above the global average (0.680). In an ideal scenario, the standard and environmentally adjusted HDI values would be equal.
The top countries in the global rankings are Iceland (HDI – 0.972), Norway (0.970), and Switzerland (0.970).
