The Listening to Kazakhstan survey shows a difficult period for society, but also significant support for ongoing reforms

ASTANA – Concerns about economic conditions remained high in Kazakhstan in the second quarter of the year, according to the latest I’m listening to Kazakhstan (L2Kaz) August 2022 Survey of Social and Economic Well-Being.

The report was produced by the World Bank’s Global Poverty and Equity Practice in collaboration with UNICEF and NAC Analytica.

“Despite the finding that about 23 percent of Kazakhstan’s families are classified as poor in August 2022, two-thirds of respondents remain optimistic about the country’s long-term economic prospects, and a similar share say they believe the country is on the right track with reforms “, the report says.

William Seitz, senior economist and team leader for the World Bank’s global poverty and justice practice in Central Asia, said it is encouraging that people who see government programs as successful report being more satisfied with their own lives and the direction of the country during the presentation of the report on 29 September.

“Social support that addresses challenges increases optimism about the positive role of government and contributes to increased satisfaction with a range of welfare measures,” Seitz said.

Rising prices are the most pressing economic issue (92 percent of respondents cited it as their top concern in July 2022). Income or jobs and food insecurity were also cited as concerns.

“Views of the labor market were mixed in the second quarter, with slightly more respondents saying it was a good time to find a job or start a business than at the same time in 2021. But concerns about job security and potential job losses work increased, reaching 54 percent of respondents in June,” it said.

The respondents expressed considerable support for the reforms in the country. This figure increased from 59 percent in February 2022 to 65 percent in April, led by young respondents (79 percent), residents of large cities (67 percent) and high-income households (66 percent). In June, the share of respondents satisfied with the government’s efforts to engage in dialogue with citizens fell below the 50 percent threshold.

The report focuses on changing levels of personal life satisfaction, which has a strong relationship with economic conditions. “Increases in life satisfaction are strongly associated with increasing optimism about the economy and decreases in life satisfaction with worsening financial situations and poor economic prospects in the respondent’s local community,” the report said.

It should be noted that the survey interviews and compares the responses of the same respondents each month. The survey consisted of face-to-face core interviews followed by a monthly household telephone survey. The number of respondents is nearly 2,000 people per month.