Abstract
Regional disparities in Kazakhstan and the level of healthcare system development directly affect sustainable development. In recent years, significant structural changes have been implemented to improve the quality of medical services, ensure effective healthcare financing, regulate the activities of public interest organizations, and enhance healthcare indicators across regions. These changes require systematic analysis to reduce interregional disparities, improve population health, and achieve sustainable development goals. The main objective of the study is to comprehensively assess the development of the healthcare system in Kazakhstan’s regions using the Regional Sustainable Development Index (SDI) and to identify the causes and consequences of interregional differences. The study employed normalization of healthcare indicators (number of doctors, number of beds, healthcare expenditures) using the HCI formula, cluster analysis of regions using the k-means method to identify three groups, and evaluation of the relationship between SDI and healthcare indicators through multiple linear regression and statistical methods. The results demonstrated significant correlations between healthcare indicators and SDI, with high-development regions showing close links to economic activity and staffing levels, reflecting the effectiveness of sustainable development policies. The scientific novelty of the study lies in providing the first quantitative assessment of healthcare system development in Kazakhstan’s regions based on SDI and identifying interregional differences. The findings support improving regional policies, efficient resource allocation, and the development of strategic decisions in healthcare.