ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranked first among Central Asian countries in the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index, placing 66th out of 161 economies worldwide, according to the latest report published by the Prosperity Institute.
Astana. Photo credit: The Astana Times
The annual index assesses countries across more than 130 indicators grouped into three broad pillars: prosperity, freedom and society. The 2026 edition introduced an updated methodology that places greater emphasis on balanced performance across all categories, rather than allowing strong results in one area to offset weaknesses in another.
Kazakhstan ranked 52nd globally in the Development pillar, 45th in Society, and 47th in Integrity of Society. The country recorded its strongest results in education, where it placed 32nd worldwide, and in Integrity of Families, ranking 30th. Kazakhstan also placed 53rd globally for living conditions.
Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan outperformed the Kyrgyz Republic (87th), Uzbekistan (94th), Tajikistan (129th), and Turkmenistan (150th). It also ranked ahead of Russia, which placed 103rd overall.
The report identifies Switzerland as the world’s most prosperous country in 2026, followed by Norway, Ireland, Denmark and Finland. According to the institute, Switzerland topped the ranking due to consistently strong performance across all major dimensions without significant weaknesses.
The Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual global assessment that measures long-term prosperity by evaluating economic performance alongside institutional quality, governance, education, health, social capital, personal freedom and other factors affecting quality of life.
