Kazakhstan has climbed eight positions. The country ranked 73rd among 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2026, its strongest result in a decade, DKNews.kz reports.
The improvement takes Kazakhstan from 81st place to 73rd and puts it first in Central Asia. The results were presented at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva during an advance presentation of the index to permanent representatives of member states.
Kazakhstan takes first place in Central Asia
The new ranking strengthens Kazakhstan’s regional position.
In the 2026 index, Kazakhstan ranked:
- 73rd among 139 economies worldwide;
- 1st among Central Asian countries;
- 2nd among 11 economies in Central and Southern Asia;
- 17th among 35 upper-middle-income economies.
The eight-place rise represents Kazakhstan’s best GII position over the past 10 years.
The Global Innovation Index assesses economies using a broad set of indicators covering institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market and business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs.
Innovation outputs improve by 11 positions
The strongest movement came from Kazakhstan’s innovation results.
Its Innovation Outputs ranking climbed 11 positions, from 84th to 73rd place. Innovation Inputs, which reflect the conditions and resources available for innovation, improved from 75th to 73rd.
The difference is significant because the country improved not only the environment supporting innovation but also its position in indicators measuring the results generated by that ecosystem.
At the same time, the ranking does not mean Kazakhstan has closed all of its structural gaps. Several areas continue to offer room for improvement.
These include research and development spending, cooperation between universities and businesses, venture capital, innovation clusters, software, and scientific and technical publications.
Kazakhstan changed how it works with WIPO
The rise in the ranking was preceded by more systematic work with WIPO throughout 2026.
Kazakhstan’s Permanent Mission in Geneva established direct engagement with the organisation on individual GII indicators, calculation methodology and the quality of underlying data.
At the mission’s initiative, WIPO experts held a dedicated online consultation with relevant Kazakh government authorities.
Instead of discussing only Kazakhstan’s overall position, the participants examined specific indicators, including:
- the sources used for international data;
- missing statistics;
- outdated figures;
- indicators requiring additional attention;
- priorities for further government work.
Following the consultations, the Permanent Mission prepared an analytical assessment containing specific recommendations and circulated it among the relevant government bodies.
Data quality became part of the innovation strategy
One of the key issues was whether Kazakhstan’s actual performance was being reflected accurately and on time in international statistics.
This shifted the country’s approach from simply tracking its annual position in the index towards working directly with individual indicators, their data sources and the policies behind them.
That distinction matters. An international ranking can change because underlying economic performance improves, because more complete or recent data become available, because methodology changes, or through a combination of these factors.
Kazakhstan’s 2026 work with WIPO therefore focused not only on improving indicators but also on ensuring that international datasets accurately capture developments inside the country.
The next challenge is turning the ranking into stronger fundamentals
The 73rd-place result gives Kazakhstan a higher starting point, but the areas identified for further improvement are more difficult than correcting missing or outdated statistics.
Higher research and development expenditure requires sustained investment. Stronger university-industry cooperation depends on whether research can be converted into commercial products. Venture capital and innovation clusters require private investment, companies and talent to operate within the same ecosystem.
The Permanent Mission plans to continue working with WIPO on individual indicators and methodology, while government bodies will focus on consolidating the progress achieved.
The next benchmark will therefore be whether Kazakhstan can convert its eight-place rise into sustained improvements in research, financing, commercialisation and innovation output — the factors that ultimately determine whether a higher ranking translates into a more innovative economy.
We previously reported on Kazakhstan’s broader push to develop technology, digital infrastructure and innovation-driven sectors. These areas are increasingly important as the country seeks to strengthen the foundations behind its international innovation indicators.
