The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released its annual World Competitiveness Ranking 2025 on June 1, where Kazakhstan climbed one spot to 34th out of 69 countries, outperforming Japan (35th), Kuwait (36th), and Portugal (37th).
Switzerland topped the list, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, Denmark, the UAE, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden, Qatar, and the Netherlands, reported the Economic Research Institute’s press service.
The ranking evaluates four key factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. Kazakhstan showed strong gains in business efficiency (rising from 28th to 20th) and infrastructure (from 49th to 44th).
Kazakhstan remains a leader in several metrics, including youth employment, female labor force participation, GDP growth, and low industrial electricity prices.
IMD noted areas needing improvement, including telecom investment, inflation control, healthcare funding, and high-tech industry development, calling for long-term, systemic solutions to enhance global competitiveness.
Kazakhstan was recently ranked 114th out of 139 countries in the 2025 Global Cost of Living Index, with prices approximately 73.4% lower than in New York City.
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