ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked 38th out of 70 countries in the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in June. The ranking, compiled by the IMD World Competitiveness Center, assesses countries based on four main factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.
Photo credit: The Astana Times.
Kazakhstan ranked 23rd in government efficiency and 23rd in business efficiency. The country placed 43rd in infrastructure and 57th in economic performance. Overall, Kazakhstan moved down from 34th place in the 2025 ranking. However, its 2026 position remains higher than its 43rd-place ranking in 2022.
Kazakhstan ahead of several major economies
Kazakhstan ranked ahead of several countries in the 2026 competitiveness ranking, including Spain in 39th place, Portugal in 40th, Poland in 41st, India in 44th, Italy in 45th, Türkiye in 57th and Argentina in 58th.
Singapore topped the ranking, followed by Hong Kong and Switzerland. Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates completed the top five. Mongolia, Botswana, Nigeria, Namibia and Venezuela occupied the lowest positions.
The ranking provides a comparative assessment of countries’ economic conditions, institutional and business environments and the infrastructure supporting their economies.
Earlier, Kazakhstan ranked first among Central Asian countries in the Legatum Prosperity Index 2026, placing 66th out of 161 countries globally.
