Kazakhstan has achieved a notable position in the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) digital competitiveness ranking, scoring 75.87 points. This places the country between Jordan and Slovenia, with its highest scores coming in the education and training category, where it ranked third, and public service delivery, where it placed fourth.
The country made significant improvements in workforce development, climbing from 35th to 22nd. Kazakhstan also advanced from 52nd to 33rd in AI adoption and ranked 18th for the utilization of AI in enhancing city services. However, it placed 44th regarding AI adoption by companies.
The United States topped the IMD rankings with a score of 100, leading in both technology and infrastructure categories. American businesses were recognized for their rapid adaptability to change, advancing the U.S. position. The U.S. also ranked second in research infrastructure and AI adoption, while it was 30th in governance.
Singapore followed closely with a score of 99.79, becoming the only economy to rank in the top five across all five categories evaluated. It secured first place in workforce development and trust, and third in AI adoption. The Netherlands came in third overall with a score of 97.08, with a workforce readiness for AI second only to the U.S. Denmark and Canada rounded out the top five, with Canada dropping from last year’s first place ranking.
China and South Korea have seen advances in their rankings, with China moving up to seventh and South Korea to tenth. Both nations, alongside the U.S., demonstrated strong performance in technology, infrastructure, and efficiency, though none of them made the top 20 in governance.
In terms of cybersecurity and AI ethics, Sweden ranked first, followed by Finland in third. Overall, Sweden finished sixth, with Finland and Switzerland taking eighth and ninth, respectively. Five European countries occupied positions within the top ten rankings.
IMD has published its digital competitiveness rankings since 2017 and revised its methodology in 2026 to better assess AI’s influence on governments and businesses. The latest ranking evaluates 88 indicators, including 25 new metrics introduced in this iteration.
Earlier reports indicated that Kazakhstan is integrating AI fundamentals into its education system, having introduced these concepts in schools starting in September 2026.
