Kazakhstan among regional innovation leaders
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published its new Global Innovation Index 2025, which assesses the level of innovation development across 139 economies worldwide. This year, Kazakhstan ranked 81st, remaining in the group of upper middle-income countries, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States topped the global ranking. The top ten also includes the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and China, which entered the top 10 for the first time, rising to 10th place ahead of Germany and Japan. China also leads globally in R&D spending, international patent applications, and knowledge and technology outputs, demonstrating steady growth in the high-tech sector.
In Central and Southern Asia, India leads the region in 38th place, followed by Iran (70th), Uzbekistan (79th), and Kazakhstan (81st), completing the regional top four.
Kazakhstan received a total score of 26.3 and was placed in the group of economies whose innovation activity is considered “in line with their level of development.” The country showed stable results in education and digital infrastructure but still has growth potential in research commercialization and the development of its startup ecosystem.
For the first time this year, Central and Southern Asia as a region outperformed Latin America and the Caribbean, driven by improved results in India, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
According to the report, global R&D expenditures grew by only 2.9% in 2024, the lowest rate since 2010. Venture capital activity remained weak: the number of deals fell by 4.4%, despite increased investment in artificial intelligence. At the same time, scientific publications hit record highs, and significant technological breakthroughs were recorded — from “green” supercomputers to falling battery costs.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan ranked 61st in the Global Peace Index 2024, while in 2023 the country held the 65th position.
