Kazakhstan ranks first in Central Asia in the Network Readiness Index

Kazakhstan ranked 65th out of 127 countries in the Network Readiness Index 2025, scoring 49.1 out of 100 points.

This was the best result among the Central Asian countries included in the ranking. Uzbekistan placed 72nd with 46.5 points, while Kyrgyzstan ranked 90th with 42.4 points. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were not included in the study.

The Network Readiness Index is compiled by the Portulans Institute. It assesses countries’ readiness to use digital technologies across 53 indicators.

The assessment covers four areas: technology, people, governance, and the impact of digitalisation on the economy and society.

The United States topped the global ranking, followed by Finland and Singapore.

Kazakhstan ranked 66th in the People category, ahead of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The country achieved its strongest results in the development of digital public services.

Kazakhstan ranked 10th worldwide for government online services and 25th for the ability of public authorities to work with data.

Kazakhstan also ranked first worldwide for internet access in schools. The country placed 20th for mobile tariff affordability and 34th for international internet bandwidth.

Kazakhstan ranked 81st in the Technology category, while Uzbekistan placed higher at 75th. Uzbekistan also ranked seventh for the prevalence of fibre-optic connections.

In the Impact category, which evaluates how digitalisation affects the economy, quality of life, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, Kyrgyzstan ranked 54th and Kazakhstan 56th.

Kazakhstan remains the only one of the three Central Asian countries to rank in the top half globally in two categories: Governance and Impact.

Kazakhstan ranked 107th for information and communication technology skills in education. Uzbekistan placed 76th and Kyrgyzstan 83rd for this indicator.

The ranking shows that Kazakhstan’s regional advantage comes from relatively strong results across several areas of digital development rather than leadership in every individual indicator.