ALMATY – Kazakhstan climbed three positions to 67th place among 169 countries in the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, while experts say the country’s long-term competitiveness will depend on strengthening resilience in an increasingly volatile global economy.
Published by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the annual index evaluates countries’ progress toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Kazakhstan’s overall score improved from 71.5 to 72 compared to last year, placing it ahead of several G20 economies, including Indonesia, Mexico, Türkiye, India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan ranked above Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, while trailing the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan. Progress in poverty reduction, infrastructure and innovation According to the report, Kazakhstan continues to make steady progress in several SDGs.
The country is considered to be on track to eradicate poverty, while improvements were also recorded in food security, clean energy, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and innovation. On SDG 1 (No Poverty), only 0.8% of the population lives on less than $3 per day, a level comparable to several OECD countries.
Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), exports of hazardous pesticides declined from 3.8 to 3.5 tons per one million people. Child mortality under the age of five fell from 9.6 to 9.4 per 1,000 live births. Access to basic drinking water services increased from 95.4% to 97.8%, while freshwater withdrawals and the country’s imported water footprint both declined.
Kazakhstan also recorded notable gains in innovation and digital infrastructure. Mobile broadband subscriptions rose from 91.6 to 119 per 100 people, the average performance of Kazakh universities in the Times Higher Education ranking improved from 30.1 to 32.1 points, and patent applications increased from 79.7 to 82.1 per one million people.
According to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Kazakhstan now has 303 research laboratories and 62 commercialization centers, while an endowment fund established to support science has already attracted two billion tenge (US$3.7 million), with plans to increase its capital to 10 billion tenge (US$18.7 million).
Kazakhstan has also implemented several long-term policy initiatives supporting sustainable development, including the Carbon Neutrality Strategy to 2060, the National Income Growth Program to 2029, and the National Fund for Children initiative. Despite overall progress, the SDSN report identifies several areas where Kazakhstan continues to face significant or serious challenges.
Education indicators deteriorated compared to last year, while progress has largely stagnated in justice and institutional effectiveness. The report also highlights the importance of additional efforts in gender equality, clean energy, responsible consumption and production, reducing inequality, climate action, and protecting terrestrial ecosystems.