Bureau of National Statistics
of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Statistics of standard of living The Bureau of National Statistics has compiled indicators characterizing the Quality of Life Index in Kazakhstan in 2024, in accordance with the methodology of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, (BetterLifeIndex)).
The Quality of Life Index is a system of well – being indicators selected by the OECD to characterize a country's development process. The development process is considered by the OECD not only as an increase in material or economic well-being, but also as an expansion of human potential. Kazakhstan has made some progress on many indicators.
Society. In 2024, the satisfaction of the population with moral support, that is, the confidence that they have someone to rely on in difficult times, was 93.3%, this indicator averages 91% in OECD countries.
Satisfaction with life. By the end of 2024, the surveyed population in Kazakhstan as a whole rated their life satisfaction at 7.6 points out of 10, noting that they experience more positive emotions than negative ones throughout the day. The average value of this indicator among the OECD countries was 7.3 points.
Job. The long-term unemployment rate (more than 1 year) in 2024 decreased by 0.2 percentage points and amounted to 1%. As for employment, in 2024, more than 80% of the working-age population is employed, which exceeds the average employment rate in OECD countries (78%).
Work/Recreation. In 2024, in Kazakhstan, the share of employees working 50 hours or more per week decreased by 0.4 percentage points compared to the previous year and amounted to 2%, when 7.1% of workers in OECD countries work overtime.
Safety. According to the latest survey data (2024), 93.9% of the population of Kazakhstan reported that they feel safe walking on the streets at night, which is higher than in OECD countries (74%).
Living conditions. In 2024, the share of residential premises not equipped with sewerage decreased by 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous year and amounted to 8.7%. The average number of rooms per person was 0.8 rooms, the average among OECD countries was 1.7 rooms.
Health. Life expectancy at birth in Kazakhstan in 2024 was 75.4 years, the OECD indicator is 81 years. In Kazakhstan, the proportion of people who are completely satisfied with their health is 49.5%, the OECD average is 68%.
Ecology. 92.3% of the population in Kazakhstan is satisfied with the quality of water used, which is higher than the OECD average (84%). The PM 2.5 content in the air is 26.6 micrograms per cubic meter, the average value for OECD countries is 14 micrograms per cubic meter. It should be noted that this indicator decreased by 3.1 micrograms per cubic meter compared to the previous year.
Quality of life is - interdisciplinary concept that characterizes the effectiveness of all aspects of human life, the level of satisfaction of material, spiritual and social needs, the level of intellectual, cultural and physical development, as well as the degree of ensuring the safety of life.
The Quality of Life Index (QLI) is calculated based on the methodology of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) using data available at the time of calculation. QLI is a system of indicators on eleven dimensions of well-being (24 indicators), which the OECD has identified as the most important indicators of physical conditions (housing, income, work) and the quality of life of the population (environment, education, environment, health, life satisfaction, work balance and personal life). Each of the eleven aspects is based on one to four indicators; in the calculations within each aspect, the indicators are averaged. Comparison of changes in the index that occur over time according to the OECD recommendations is not made, since the methodology and set of indicators are updated and changed annually. For example, in 2016, the “Air Pollution Level” aspect used the indicator “weighted average of particulate matter less than 10 microns per meter in air (PM10) in cities with a population of more than 100,000”, and in 2017 this indicator changed to “weighted average of particulate matter particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) by country.”
