Abstract
Abstract The abstract presents a critical review of the existing approaches to the assessment of the sustainability of the region that defines the development level of the social and economic system. The authors conducted the assessment of sustainability of the biggest region of Kazakhstan, Almaty oblast. The city of Almaty is a city of republican status and is not administratively part of Almaty oblast. The findings showed that in terms of dynamics the development of Almaty oblast as such is characterised as very close to being a sustainable one. Regardless of the fact that environmental and economic subsystems have shown stable growth, the social subsystem has features of instability.