Average Life Satisfaction Around 70 Percent in Kazakhstan, Shows World Bank Survey

ASTANA  – According to the latest findings from the “Listening to Kazakhstan” survey conducted by the World Bank, around 70 percent of Kazakhstan’s citizens express satisfaction with their life – a number that has remained the same since the start of the survey in 2021. This survey, conducted in collaboration with the British Government, aims to monitor the economic and social well-being of Kazakhstan’s population and provide real-time insights into the impacts of policy changes on households.

The survey, reaching 1,400 households across urban and rural areas in Kazakhstan, revealed that public perceptions of local economic conditions significantly improved in 2023. It found that a higher percentage of respondents in 2023 believed it was a good time to start a business compared to 2021 and 2022. However, this opinion weakened in the final quarter of 2023.

Around three-quarters of respondents expressed optimism regarding the country’s long-term economic trends, and this share remained largely stable during 2023. The optimism was especially strong among younger adults aged 18-24 and high-income families. The survey showed that support for the government’s reforms increased to 67 percent and was particularly high among young people, the elderly, and rural residents.

The survey results presented by World Bank experts at a roundtable in Astana on January 31, 2024 highlighted the fact that the stable levels of life satisfaction and the positive trends in public perception of local economic conditions and support for government reforms indicate a generally positive outlook for the country’s future.

“We found it very encouraging to see that overall well-being of Kazakhstan has been improving. The views on the outlook and the government’s performance are stable or trending positive,” said Metin Nebiler, Economist and Team Leader for the Poverty and Equity Global Practice of the World Bank in Kazakhstan.

However, citizens also registered several concerns. Inflation remains a significant issue for 94 percent of respondents, although the annual inflation rate has been steadily declining in 2023.

The survey also found that challenges such as income inequality (92 percent) and worries about job loss (over 50 percent) still need to be addressed to further improve perceptions of well-being of the population. Furthermore, respondents expressed only modest improvements in perceptions of government openness and anti-corruption efforts.

Detailed Information about the survey, including the methodology and the findings, can be found at www.worldbank.org/l2kaz. The results are also presented in the interactive dashboard where users can look at the trends for indicators and download the information for their use.