Astana climbs global smart cities ranking, outperforming major European cities
Astana ranked 46th in the global Smart Centres Index 2025, moving up six positions from the previous edition of the ranking, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The assessment covers 76 cities worldwide and evaluates performance across three key areas: innovation support and the regulatory environment, the intensity of creative and scientific activity, and a city’s practical capacity to develop and deliver technological products.
The Kazakh capital scored 654 points, up 10 points year on year. San Francisco topped the ranking, followed by Zurich and London in second and third place. Oxford ranked fourth, while New York completed the top five. Astana placed ahead of several European capitals and major cities, including Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Lisbon and Moscow.
According to the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), the improvement in the city’s position is linked to the development of digital infrastructure.
“Cities are becoming key platforms for economic growth and infrastructure investment, concentrating added value and driving demand for transport, energy and utility networks. Experts estimate that the global smart cities market is expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2027, and at the AIFC we see significant potential in this trend and are ready to continue supporting the attraction of international technology players to the markets of Kazakhstan and Central Asia,” said Zhanbolat Kakishev, Chief Product Officer at the AIFC Administration.
As Qazinform News Agency reported earlier, Spanish travel magazine Viajar has recognized Almaty among the top cities for mountain lovers.
