Almaty named best city in Central Asia by Oxford Economics

Oxford Economics is an independent economic consultancy known for its in-depth global assessments. The Global Cities Index evaluates 1,000 cities worldwide based on their structural strengths, opportunities, and challenges. The index is built on five key categories: economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance.

In the 2025 rankings, Almaty placed 258th globally—the highest rank among Central Asian cities. The city performed particularly well in the human capital category, earning the 64th position worldwide. Almaty also ranked 346th in economy, 245th in quality of life, 726th in environment, and 613th in governance.

Other major Kazakh cities were also included in the index: Astana ranked 276th; Shymkent came in at 534th.

For comparison, Tashkent (Uzbekistan) ranked 471st, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) 498th, Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) 623rd, and Dushanbe (Tajikistan) 683rd.

Here’s how Central Asian cities ranked globally:

1. Almaty – 258th

2. Astana – 276th

3. Tashkent – 471st

4. Bishkek – 498th

5. Shymkent – 534th

6. Ashgabat – 623rd

7. Dushanbe – 683rd

In terms of category-specific scores for Kazakhstan’s cities:

· Almaty: Economy (346), Human Capital (64), Quality of Life (245), Environment (726), Governance (613)

· Astana: Economy (261), Human Capital (125), Quality of Life (341), Environment (505), Governance (613)

· Shymkent: Economy (703), Human Capital (292), Quality of Life (448), Environment (911), Governance (613)

Globally, five U.S. cities made it into the top 10:

1. New York

2. London

3. Paris

4. San Jose

5. Seattle

6. Melbourne

7. Sydney

8. Boston

9. Tokyo

10. San Francisco

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan has unveiled an official list of top destinations that combine natural beauty, cultural heritage, and improved tourism infrastructure, amid a surge in domestic travel, according to Caspian News and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.