Cities and villages want different things: what a survey of Kazakhstanis showed

Kazakhstanis are broadly positive about changes in their communities, but the survey shows that cities and villages do not experience those changes in quite the same way. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said infrastructure and service quality had improved over the past three years. That included 42% who fully agreed and 26% who somewhat agreed. Thirty percent saw no improvement, while 2% were undecided.

Urban residents were more positive than rural residents, with 71% reporting improvements compared with 62% in rural areas. Young people expressed the strongest optimism: 78% of respondents aged 18 to 35 noticed progress. The figure fell to 61% among those aged 36 to 50 and stood at 64% among people over 50.

Satisfaction with present living conditions was higher still. Eighty-two percent said they were satisfied, including 22% who were completely satisfied and 60% who were somewhat satisfied. Seventeen percent were dissatisfied and 1% were undecided. Satisfaction reached 84% in cities and 78% in rural areas, while young people recorded the highest level at 87%.

When asked where improvements were most visible, respondents most often named roads, at 32%. Landscaping followed at 29%, then parks and green spaces at 22%, schools and kindergartens at 18%, new housing at 15%, public transport and hospitals or clinics at 11% each, internet and mobile communications at 7%, and utilities at 6%. Fifteen percent said nothing had improved.

The priorities for future development were similar but not identical. Roads and landscaping led at 26% each, followed by hospitals and clinics at 21%, internet and mobile communications at 20%, schools and kindergartens at 19%, utilities at 17%, parks and green spaces at 16%, public transport at 13%, and new housing at 10%. Twenty-four percent suggested other priorities, most often economic opportunities, tourism, and sports or cultural infrastructure. Urban residents more often pointed to parks, housing and public transport, while rural residents more often emphasized roads and utilities.