Photo: Dmitry A. Mottl (original) This derivative work (cropped): SHB2000 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Kazakhstan: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Kazakhstan is placed joint 91st of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 75.63 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.682 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
joint91st
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 75.63Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.682Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 31.1Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 20.9Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Kazakhstan on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
75.63
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Kazakhstan: 75.63. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Central Asia
- 86.25 Kyrgyzstan
- Land neighbours
- China 78.13 · Kyrgyzstan 86.25 · Russia 73.13 · Uzbekistan 82.5
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.682
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Kazakhstan: 0.682. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Central Asia
- 0.733 Kyrgyzstan
- Land neighbours
- China 0.587 · Kyrgyzstan 0.733 · Russia 0.546 · Turkmenistan 0.437 · Uzbekistan 0.643
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Kazakhstan’s is from 2024 · CC BY 4.0
31.1
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Kazakhstan: 31.1. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Central Asia
- 31.1 Kazakhstan
- Land neighbours
- China 19.6 · Kyrgyzstan 21.68 · Russia 24.25 · Turkmenistan 6.084 · Uzbekistan 12.34
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
20.9
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Kazakhstan: 20.9. Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Central Asia
- 20.9 Kazakhstan
- Land neighbours
- China 27.1 · Kyrgyzstan 29.4
02Over time
Which way Kazakhstan is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
KazakhstanWorld median
Kazakhstan rose from 67.5 in 2000 to 75.63 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Kazakhstan World median 2025 76 81.3 2023 76 81.3 2022 76 80.3 2021 69 80.0 2020 69 79.7 2019 69 78.8 2018 69 77.5 2017 69 77.5 2016 69 76.9 2015 73 75.9 2014 73 75.6 2013 73 75.0 2012 73 73.8 2011 73 73.1 2010 73 73.1 2009 70 72.5 2008 70 71.3 2007 68 69.7 2006 68 68.8 2005 68 67.2 2004 68 66.9 2003 68 64.7 2002 68 63.8 2001 68 63.8 2000 68 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
KazakhstanWorld median
Kazakhstan fell from 0.742 in 2000 to 0.682 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Kazakhstan World median 2025 0.682 0.7715 2024 0.728 0.7745 2023 0.755 0.7755 2022 0.796 0.7825 2021 0.796 0.7785 2020 0.791 0.7755 2019 0.780 0.7665 2018 0.767 0.7715 2017 0.781 0.7710 2016 0.799 0.7780 2015 0.784 0.7755 2014 0.784 0.7795 2013 0.779 0.7730 2012 0.796 0.7740 2011 0.773 0.7650 2010 0.773 0.7610 2009 0.774 0.7515 2008 0.766 0.7505 2007 0.766 0.7380 2006 0.743 0.7290 2005 0.740 0.7350 2004 0.749 0.7205 2003 0.749 0.7160 2002 0.749 0.7150 2001 0.749 0.6950 2000 0.742 0.6810
03In context
Kazakhstan beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Kazakhstan and the countries it borders
Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | =91st | 75.63 | 0.682 | 31.1 | 20.9 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 93rd | 86.25 | 0.733 | 21.68 | 29.4 |
 Russia | =122nd | 73.13 | 0.546 | 24.25 | — |
 China | 124th | 78.13 | 0.587 | 19.6 | 27.1 |
 Uzbekistan | =131st | 82.5 | 0.643 | 12.34 | — |
 Turkmenistan | 172nd | — | 0.437 | 6.084 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Central Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Kazakhstan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Kazakhstan is ahead of the world, and behind
22 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median13
Statistics on which Kazakhstan does better than the middle country measured.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9711.0040.971▲ Improved since 2013
Kazakhstan: 1.004 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 12th of 184 · derived.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.43.522.4No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 3.5 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 112th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8195.381No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 95.3 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 21st of 153 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3662.6553.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Kazakhstan: 62.65 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 31st of 182 · derived.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 9812698▼ Worsened since 2015
Kazakhstan: 126 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.999.596.9No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 99.5 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.16.117.1No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 6.1 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 112th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.659.5846.65▲ Improved since 2013
Kazakhstan: 9.58 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 150th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.1820.351No real change since 2013
Kazakhstan: 0.182 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 50th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2485.7471.24▲ Improved since 2014
Kazakhstan: 85.74 · world median 71.24 · Women with an account (% of women aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.91 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 44th of 139 · derived.
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 343No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 4 · world median 3 · Level of legal guarantees of women's equal rights to land ownership and control, 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 6; higher is better.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2576.471.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Kazakhstan: 76.4 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 70th of 196 · derived.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4618.2327.46▲ Improved since 2013
Kazakhstan: 18.23 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 136th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which Kazakhstan does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.1651.244▼ Worsened since 2014
Kazakhstan: 1.165 · world median 1.244 · Adjusted gender parity index, tertiary gross enrolment (1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.74 to 1.83; higher is better.
Position 30th of 95 · derived.
Gender Social Norms IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 91.8193.2391.81No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 93.23 · world median 91.81 · People with at least one bias against gender equality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 27.39 to 99.92; lower is better.
Position 41st of 91 · derived, 1st = worst.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1230.1135.12No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 30.11 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 112th of 181 · derived.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Kazakhstan: 0 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
No better end5
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1755.6938.17No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 55.69 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1106.4105.1Moved since 2013
Kazakhstan: 106.4 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2142.0633.21No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 42.06 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6515.320.65No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 15.3 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6522.424.65No earlier reading
Kazakhstan: 22.4 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
No current reading for Kazakhstan
Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2018), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2020), Global Gender Parity Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Kazakhstan’s 15 topics
Gender & Equality is Kazakhstan’s 9th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Poverty & Inequality14th of 1593/3 keys
- Development & Human Capital44th of 1963/3 keys
- Digital & Technology49th of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience61st of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation65th of 1764/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing75th of 2003/4 keys
- Work & Labour69th of 1824/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge76th of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 91st of 1834/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions99th of 1944/4 keys
- Peace & Security97th of 1774/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade99th of 1772/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture107th of 1844/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties138th of 1984/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability177th of 1863/4 keys
No standing on Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Kazakhstan can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Taiwan2nd3/4 keysHighest in Central Asia
Kazakhstan=91st4/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Kazakhstan on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Kazakhstan rank on gender & equality?
Kazakhstan is placed joint 91st of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index, Firms with a Female Top Manager and Social Institutions and Gender Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Kazakhstan?
75.63 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Kazakhstan?
0.682 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How does Kazakhstan compare with China on gender & equality?
China is placed 124th of 183, and Kazakhstan joint 91st. Women, Business and the Law: China 78.13, Kazakhstan 75.63; Women's Political Empowerment Index: China 0.587, Kazakhstan 0.682; Firms with a Female Top Manager: China 19.6, Kazakhstan 31.1; Social Institutions and Gender Index: China 27.1, Kazakhstan 20.9.
How have Kazakhstan’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 67.5 in 2000 to 75.63 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.742 in 2000 to 0.682 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Kazakhstan?
No current reading is published for Kazakhstan on Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Global Gender Parity Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 22 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Kazakhstan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Kazakhstan (banner) — Dmitry A. Mottl (original) This derivative work (cropped): SHB2000, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Kazakhstan: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/kazakhstan/gender