Kazakhstan Emerges as Eurasia’s Digital Leader with AI, E-Government, and a Thriving Startup Scene

Kazakhstan’s Digital Transformation: Leading Eurasia in E-Government and AI

By 2025, Kazakhstan stands out as a leader in digital development across Central Asia. The country has made significant strides in fintech, IT exports, and public service delivery, while also advancing its AI capabilities and broadband infrastructure. Ranking among the global top 10 for online government services, Kazakhstan serves as a practical example of digital modernization in the region.

From Resource Economy to Digital Readiness

Historically known as a resource-driven economy, Kazakhstan has shifted its focus to digital modernization. The government’s strategy now emphasizes comprehensive digitization of public services, expansion of broadband access, development of a national AI ecosystem, and fostering international startup collaboration.

Kazakhstan’s inclusion in the top 10 of the Online Services Index (OSI), alongside countries like South Korea and Estonia, reflects this shift. According to the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index, Kazakhstan moved up four places to 24th globally, surpassing major economies such as Germany, China, and Australia. It also leads among the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in digital governance.

Currently, over 92% of government services are accessible online. Citizens access more than 1,200 services through the national portal eGov.kz and the eGov Mobile app, which saw its user base increase by 1.1 million this year, reaching 11 million active users. In the first half of 2025 alone, over 23 million digital services were delivered, with nearly half accessed via smartphones, reflecting a mobile-first approach.

The digital transformation extends beyond access to the delivery and management of services. The eGov ecosystem touches daily activities such as business registration, healthcare access, document renewal, and legal filings. The eGov Mobile app continuously receives upgrades including biometric verification, push notifications, and integration with private platforms like Kaspi.kz, fostering seamless interaction between public and private digital services.

As of mid-2025, eGov.kz has over 14.7 million registered users, with 215,000 new accounts added in the past year, indicating growing digital trust among citizens.

Strategic Advances in AI Development

Kazakhstan’s National AI Development Concept, approved in 2024, sets the legal and strategic groundwork through 2029. This framework promotes ethical AI use, establishes national standards, and defines regulatory mechanisms. Efforts are underway to evolve this into a National AI Strategy that integrates AI into critical sectors like healthcare, education, energy, governance, and science.

A key milestone is the launch of Central Asia’s most powerful supercomputer in July 2025, hosted in a Tier III-certified data center under the Ministry of Digital Development. This AI supercluster will serve universities, startups, and private companies by providing secure, localized access to high-performance computing resources.

Additionally, the government and Parliament are collaborating on a draft AI Law to regulate interactions among public authorities, individuals, and businesses engaged in AI development and use. An International AI Advisory Council has also been established under the President's office, comprising global experts and entrepreneurs to guide policy and foster international cooperation.

Startup Ecosystem and Workforce Growth

Kazakhstan’s startup ecosystem reflects its technological progress. In 2024, local startups attracted over $250 million in venture capital, a threefold increase from the previous year. Astana Hub, the country’s flagship accelerator, hosts more than 1,300 startups from 28 countries, generating revenues exceeding 1.2 trillion tenge (approximately US$2.3 billion) and export earnings over 140 billion tenge (US$270.9 million).

Startups benefit from tax exemptions, simplified visa procedures, and access to both national and international investment. The presence of global tech firms is growing; for instance, Telegram officially joined Astana Hub in 2025, signaling deeper ties with international BigTech players.

Several Kazakhstani startups have gained international traction, including Alaqan, Codiplay, CITIX, CEREBRA, OGames, Parqour, and ApartX. Codiplay, an EdTech company improving digital literacy among schoolchildren, is valued at $100 million. Its tools are used in over 450 schools worldwide, including in the UK, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, and are now expanding domestically.

Kazakhstan is expanding its global reach by launching international tech hubs in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United States. These serve as gateways for IT export and cooperation, supported by strong government initiatives and private venture capital. The newly established Qazaqstan Venture Group—a $1 billion fund—focuses on AI-driven startups, complementing Astana Hub Ventures, which supports startups from Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and beyond.

The workforce is growing alongside the ecosystem. With over 18,000 IT companies employing 187,000 people as of 2024, the sector is expanding at 12% annually. The government’s Tech Orda program aims to train 20,000 new IT professionals by 2029. Training covers a broad range of digital roles such as AI engineers, data analysts, product managers, and cybersecurity specialists. Eighteen regional IT hubs across the country play a key role in talent development.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Kazakhstan faces some challenges, including market concentration in fintech, rural connectivity gaps, and early-stage AI adoption hurdles. However, the government’s comprehensive digital roadmap, strong institutional coordination, and active private sector participation point to continued progress.

With broadband access nearing full coverage, scaling AI infrastructure, and a startup ecosystem expanding globally, Kazakhstan is setting the pace for digital development across Eurasia.

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