The role of education, human capital, and quality of life in regional development: Evidence from Kazakhstan

Raushan Unerbayeva, Кожирова Светлана Басиевна, Gaukhar K. Kenzhegulova, Aigul Mukatay, Temirlan Abdykadyr

2025

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.21511/ppm.23(3).2025.19
Data confidence 70 medium
How this score is calculated

It is built from checkable properties of the record itself: whether the article has a DOI, how many independent sources confirmed its data, whether the required fields are filled in, and how recent the latest confirmation is. Disagreement between sources and a missing identifier lower it. A value of 80 or above means the record was published without further checking; 60 to 79 means it is published at reduced confidence, with a manual check advisable. A record verified by an editor by hand is never pushed below 90 by a recalculation. This scores our data about the article, not the article itself.

Abstract

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThis study aims to assess the impact of key components of quality of life, including human capital, social accessibility, and industrial development, on effective territorial development management in Kazakhstan. The study uses an index approach, cluster and correlation analysis, and Markov transition models. The empirical dataset covers 17 regions of Kazakhstan over the period 2013–2023 and is based on official annual statistics, including indicators of education (number of students and teaching staff), employment, income, digital infrastructure, and industrial development. The Quality of Life Index (QLI) was calculated using normalized variables, followed by regional grouping and dynamic modeling. Results indicate that the highest QLI values in 2023 were recorded in Astana city (0.837), Mangystau (0.790), and Shymkent city (0.771), where educational coverage and academic staffing are significantly higher than in other regions. Correlation analysis reveals that industrial development (r = 0.493, p = 0.052) and educational potential (ρ = 0.491, p = 0.045) are positively associated with regional upward transitions in quality of life. Cluster analysis identified three stable groups of regions: with active social transformation (e.g., Mangystau, Kyzylorda), balanced growth (Karaganda, Pavlodar), and limited dynamics (Turkistan, East-Kazakhstan). Thus, regions with strong educational infrastructure and dynamic labor markets, such as the Mangystau region, Astana and Shymkent cities, consistently outperform in QLI. In contrast, structurally lagging regions, such as Turkistan and East Kazakhstan, exhibit limited social mobility and weak institutional support. Consequently, investment in human capital is essential for reducing regional disparities and promoting sustainable territorial development. AcknowledgmentsThis research has been funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (“Modernization of the quality assurance system of higher education in Kazakhstan based on digitalization: development of approaches, mechanisms and informationbase” No.BR24992974).