Aigul Zabirova,
Chief Research Fellow,
KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Every year of independence provides us an opportunity not only to reflect on the past,but also to evaluate the present– particularly the reforms that citizens experience in their daily lives. Recent data from KazISS offers a clear insight: Kazakhstani citizens notice changes when the state becomes more responsive to families, children, and their everyday needs. This report highlights how large-scale reforms are manifested in small,but significant details.
On the eve of Independence Day, looking back over the years that have passed, we arise the question that every developing country asks: which of the ongoing reforms are genuinely felt by the population in their everyday lives? Strategies and programs are important, but sociologists remind us that the real picture of change is visible precisely in the everyday life of citizens. A summer survey commissioned by KazISS[1], gave an opportunity to see this experience directly. One of the survey questions was straightforward: “What results of modern reforms have you observed in society?” And if anyone expects to hear abstract reflections on modernization or structural transformations, our data quickly dispels such illusions. Citizens report changes that directly affect their lives, rather than responses shaped by press releases.
Schools as a key indicators of reform. Firstly, 38% of respondents highlighted the construction and modernization of schools. The national project “Comfortable School,” launched in 2022 by the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aims to eliminate shortages of student places, replace unsafe and outdated school buildings, and end triple-shift schooling, while establishing modern educational environments. Today, schools are a visible outcome of government action, recognized not only socially but also economically. Education is a primary driver of long-term growth, and it is evident that Kazakhstani citizens recognize what economists call visible investments in human capital. In this sense, schools have become a kind of indicator: if a school has changed, something significant is indeed happening. There is also a more practical explanation. Schools are among the few places where government decisions are literally visible. A new building cannot be confused with a report; a new or renovated school either stands or it does not. According to the survey data, residents of the Atyrau, Kyzylorda, and Kostanay regions notice these changes most clearly.
Combating domestic violence. In second place, 31% of respondents highlighted efforts to combat domestic violence. For those of us who follow societal trends in Kazakhstan, this figure is far more significant than it might seem at first glance, as this issue has long remained at the margins of public attention. Social and cultural norms tend to shift slowly. Suddenly, they shift dramatically. The data show exactly such a turning point: society is now paying real attention to this issue. Women (56.7% of respondents) cite this reform as noticeable more often than men (43.3% of respondents), and this is entirely to be expected. When a problem has been ignored for a long time, those most directly affected are the first to see it. Changes are especially evident in Astana, Shymkent, and Pavlodar regions. Sociologists would say that a new moral environment is emerging here, while Nobel laureate Paul Krugman might call it a rare case in which institutional reform coincides with a genuine shift in the social climate.
Digitalization: The quiet, but most sweeping reform. Digital services were identified as a visible result of reform by 29.7% of respondents. Big initiatives tend to grab headlines, but real change often happens quietly. Digitalization in Kazakhstan is precisely such a case. It doesn’t require ribbon-cutting ceremonies, yet it saves people time every single day. Time, after all, is the most underestimated economic resource. And make no mistake, this is a major reform, even if it’s largely invisible. The state has invested enormous resources and years of administrative effort into it. According to the survey, residents of Pavlodar, Karaganda, and Zhambyl regions noticed these changes earlier than others. Not necessarily because they are more demanding, but because digital practices are reaching areas previously dominated by paper. Economists have long argued that when government services become more accessible, both trust and productivity increase. It’s an effect that may be hard to measure statistically, but it is easy to feel in everyday life.
The National Fund for Children. 28.7% of respondents highlighted the National Fund for Children program as a visible result of reforms. This may be the most interesting signal in the data. Why? Because the program looks to the future while remaining entirely concrete. Annual deposits into the account of every child, citizen of Kazakhstan, have become a reality. The amount exists. The account exists. The goal exists. For sociologists and economists, this represents the creation of a long-term state mechanism for redistributing resources in favor of human capital. For citizens, it sends a clear message that the future opportunities of their children are no longer abstract. It is perhaps unsurprising that this result is most strongly noticed in Kyzylorda and Zhambyl regions, as well as in the cities of Astana and Shymkent. In areas with higher demographic pressure, programs for children are always perceived as a more tangible signal that the state is turning its attention toward families.
The four key results. When the top four results from the population ranking are considered together, a clear sequence emerges: first, schools; second, family safety; third, digitalization; and finally, the future of children. It does not matter which terminology is used – economic, sociological, or political. The meaning is the same: people evaluate reforms through the lens of the family. This is a rare moment of consensus. People notice change where the quality of life is genuinely improving. And, if you think about it, there is a certain festive note in this as well.
UAPF as a rare case of reform in square meters. 20% of respondents highlighted the option to partially withdraw funds from the Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (UAPF). This is the type of reform that economists call a tangible benefit. People saw a practical result in the form of an improved apartment, a paid-off mortgage, or actual home renovations. No complex interpretations are needed. This is precisely why this measure leaves a lasting impression. It measures not attitudes toward the future, but the current standard of living.
Other significant changes. The picture then broadens, yet remains equally important. 19% of respondents mentioned roads, railway stations, and airports, since infrastructure is a powerful indicator of growth. It provides not only transportation but also a sense of movement. 15% of respondents noted the digital family card and social wallet, signaling progress toward more precise mechanisms of state support. 14% highlighted the “Taza Qazaqstan” initiative, showing that ecology, while not central, is becoming a growing area of societal attention. Another 14% mentioned the development of agriculture as a constant pillar of the economy, particularly for the regions. 10% of respondents emphasized support for small and medium-sized businesses, the foundation of entrepreneurial activity.Overall, these responses form not a scatter of impressions, but a coherent picture: society notices reforms where infrastructure is being modernized, social mechanisms are becoming more precise, and economic opportunities are expanding.
What does this tell us about Kazakhstan today? Looking at the survey results as a whole, a simple conclusion emerges: citizens evaluate reforms not as political constructs, but as changes to their living conditions. Schools, safety, digital services, and programs for children – all these reforms are perceived as improvements to everyday life. State initiatives become visible not when they are discussed, but when they can be experienced through time, space, and family.
Every Independence Day is not just another page in our history, but also a test of what society considers real change. The data show that people notice reforms where the state draws closer to their homes, both literally and metaphorically. In economic terms, the country is strengthening the foundation of quality of life. In social terms, it is becoming more convenient and humane. And if you are looking for a reason to feel optimistic on Independence Day, it is right here: the country is becoming more accessible, understandable, and closer to its people.
[1] The sociological survey was conducted on behalf of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) from July 11 to August 12, 2025. The sample included 8,000 respondents. Participants were aged 18 and older and represented 17 regions of the country, as well as the cities of national significance: Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent.
