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Assessing regional inequalities in Kazakhstan through well-being

Author

Listed:
  • Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés
  • Bartalucci, Federico
  • Kurmanov, Bakhytzhan
  • Rau, Genadiy
  • Nigmetov, Kaisar

Abstract

Growing disparities in wealth, well-being, and access to services in Kazakhstan have raised serious concerns among policymakers, especially since the January 2022 protests. This paper evaluates these regional inequalities and presents the findings from Kazakhstan’s inaugural well-being survey. The survey, based on global best practices, involves 4,032 face-to-face interviews with a diverse sample across all 20 regions, ensuring representation. The resulting indices—the Subjective Well-Being Index and the Regional Well-Being Index—highlight both within-region and between-region disparities. Notably, the indices reveal significant variations in well-being, with certain regions reporting notably lower satisfaction levels across dimensions like trust in institutions, satisfaction with financial and housing conditions, health care and education quality, and personal security perceptions.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Bartalucci, Federico & Kurmanov, Bakhytzhan & Rau, Genadiy & Nigmetov, Kaisar, 2024. "Assessing regional inequalities in Kazakhstan through well-being," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122341, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:122341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrew E. Clark & Claudia Senik, 2010. "Will GDP growth increase happiness in developing countries?," Working Papers halshs-00564985, HAL.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    well-being survey; inequality; Kazakhstan; regional development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P25 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
    • P28 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Natural Resources; Environment
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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