On September 9, 2025, the IMD World Competitiveness Center published the results of the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025.
According to the Institute for Economic Research, the 2025 ranking assessed 69 economies in terms of developing, attracting, and retaining human capital necessary for sustainable economic growth.
Kazakhstan ranked 34th, rising three places compared to last year. The country was positioned between New Zealand (33rd) and Cyprus (35th).
The Institute for Economic Research notes that the “Investment and Development” factor evaluates how effectively a country invests in education and training, equipping citizens with the skills needed for the economy. The “Appeal” factor measures how attractive a country is for retaining and attracting both local and foreign talent. The “Readiness” factor assesses how skilled the workforce is and whether it meets the needs of the economy.
“Kazakhstan’s rise in the ranking was largely driven by improvements in the ‘Investment and Development’ factor, where the country moved up three places to 20th. Among the indicators, the strongest progress was seen in the share of women in the workforce, which reached 51.5% of the total labor force (improving from 12th place at 48.39% to 3rd place in the 2025 IMD Talent Ranking), as well as in the student-teacher ratio in primary education — 14.74 (improving from 46th place at 16.8 to 38th place). Kazakhstan also maintains strong results in the student-teacher ratio in secondary education, holding 2nd place with a ratio of 8.34,” the Institute noted.
In the “Appeal” and “Readiness” factors, Kazakhstan improved by one place each, moving from 46th to 45th and from 44th to 43rd, respectively. Within the “Appeal” factor, respondents gave higher marks for judicial fairness (rising from 39th with a score of 5.54 to 26th with 6.56), as well as for companies’ prioritization of attracting and retaining talent (rising from 40th with 6.6 points to 27th with 6.92).
Within the “Readiness” factor, a notable improvement was recorded in “Labor Force Growth,” where Kazakhstan climbed 17 places — from 48th (1.11%) to 31st (1.36%).
Switzerland continues to lead the ranking, consistently holding first place in both the “Investment and Development” and “Appeal” categories. It is followed by Luxembourg (2nd), Iceland (3rd), Hong Kong (4th), and the Netherlands (5th). All of these countries improved their positions compared to last year.
“Switzerland’s decade-long dominance shows that strong institutions, high-quality education, and consistent policies create lasting competitive advantages. But even leaders face challenges — including the gender gap and shortages in STEM specialists — which could weigh on future results,” analysts noted.
The Institute also highlighted that the rapid rise of the UAE, Iceland’s return to the top three, and Hong Kong’s record strengthening demonstrate that consistent, targeted reforms and investment in aligning education outcomes with labor market needs — as well as building a globally competitive work environment — can significantly improve a country’s position in the global talent landscape, even after periods of instability.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Boston New Times journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
