Abstract
The purpose of the article is to study the main parameters characterizing the quality of life of the population of Kazakhstan in modern economic conditions and develop proposals for its improvement. The methodology of the study is based on a holistic approach, including the use of objective indicators of the quality of life that determine the material conditions and means of human livelihood, and subjective assessments of the population, social groups of their material and social well-being. Measuring and evaluating the level and quality of life of the population of Kazakhstan based on an integrated approach includes the use of the following methods: component analysis, normative and stratification, integral indicators, and subjective assessments of the population. The leading blocks of the life support system are considered, including the assessment of income and consumption in the conditions of maintaining socio-economic income differentiation; the social qualitative parameters of the life support system of the population, the most important indicators of the implementation of priority areas of development of labor potential in the innovative economy, modernization of housing policy are given.
Introduction
In recent years, the concept of “quality of life” has taken a strong position in scientific circulation, along with the concepts of “standard of living and lifestyle of the population.” Interest in the issue of quality of life is observed primarily in economically and socially prosperous countries and regions. Research shows that the quality of life fully reflects the effectiveness of the social policy. The Government of these countries is concerned not only with the tasks of social protection and support for the poor but also with the problems of socially sustainable development, in which each next generation of people will live in better conditions than the previous one (Kail et al., 2017).
Improving the quality of life of the population is the most important strategic task of the development of society at the present stage, which determined the relevance of the topic of this study. As noted in the Strategy “‘Kazakhstan-2050’: a new political course of an established state,” the transition from an export-raw material to an innovative growth model of the economy of Kazakhstan is designed to improve the quality of the country’s socio-economic development and the standard of living of the population. In the model of economic development with the dominance of the innovative component, an important role belongs to improving the level and quality of life of society as a whole. The main goal of development is social security and the well-being of citizens. In the Concept of Innovative Development, the country’s innovative policy is considered as the foundation for future national identity, competitiveness, the welfare of the population, and economic viability. At the heart of this Concept lies the focus on modern and growing market needs, the search for solutions to emerging user needs, market gaps, and social problems. The course taken by Kazakhstan on the formation and development of an innovative economy should significantly increase the potential for the development of society, which is reflected in the efficiency and quality of economic processes and characterizes the social orientation of the country.
The main tasks of social sustainability of the society are associated with improving the quality of life of the population. The influence of social factors on the development of the economy is carried out through human capital, the quality of which directly depends on the state and level of development of the leading spheres of life support of the population, such as the system of income and wages, the social and labor sphere, education, and healthcare system, housing, ensuring environmental safety of living conditions of the population.
The concept of life quality reflects the totality of life’s socio-economic conditions that determine the population’s material and social well-being. The diversity of the structure and content of the socio-economic category “quality of life” is determined both by the level of development of the main spheres of life support and vital activity—material, social, environmental, and—by the quality of the socio-economic potential of the population, a certain social group, an individual. In this study, the “quality of life” is considered as an integral characteristic of the general well-being of a person, including the degree of satisfaction of material, social, and spiritual needs of a person. Accordingly, the indicators of income, consumption expenditures, income distribution, employment, education, health, social, and housing provision are taken for its assessment. These needs are basic in nature and form the basis for the development of an innovative economy and civil society as a whole.
In the context of Kazakhstan’s transition to innovative development, it is necessary to change the vectors in the formation of priorities, institutions, and the use of new mechanisms in the implementation of social policy from the standpoint of ensuring the welfare standards of developed countries. The choice of a social strategy that ensures the stability of the economy and society as the most important basis for the socially oriented development of the state is associated with a fundamentally new approach to solving the problems of providing decent conditions for the development and realization of the spiritual, physical, intellectual potential of every citizen of the country.
The purpose of the article is to study the main parameters characterizing the quality of life of the population of Kazakhstan in modern economic conditions and develop proposals for its improvement.
Literature review
Currently, there is no generally accepted scientific definition of the concept of “quality of life.” There are many studies of this category, and each researcher focuses on one or another side of this concept. Various approaches to assessing the quality of life are investigated in the works of Weizsäcker et al. (2000), Kvyatkovsky (2002), Sukharev (2013), Kondo (2001), Tatochenko (2011), and Zholudeva and Melnichenko (2018).
Analysis of various definitions of the quality of life shows that, as a rule, they contain substantive and operational parts. In the substantive part, the very meaning of the concept is revealed, and in the operating part, the method of quantifying the level of quality of life is specified.
The substantive part of all definitions refers to the degree of satisfaction with material, cultural, spiritual, and other human needs. Thus, Cheung and Lucas (2014), Owczarek (2010), Chaturvedi and Muliyala (2016), and others focus on healthcare. It should be noted that earlier the indicator of the quality of life was considered from the standpoint of calculating life expectancy (World Bank, 2007). However, this indicator does not fully disclose all aspects of the phenomenon under study. A more detailed description of the level of quality of life can be obtained using integral indicators for monitoring various socio-economic processes.
Suzilawati et al. (2018) pay great attention to the possibility of participation in solving social problems, forming a picture of the world, and the rules of human behavior. Social belonging and full participation in social and cultural life in all forms are explored in the works of Galloway (2005), Frolova (2016), Massam (2002), and McLaren et al., (2015) who study the relationship between the quality of life and the quality of education. Chulanova (2017) considers the availability of new knowledge, education, and professional skills as the most important part of the quality of life, as well as the creation of favorable social and labor relations (Chulanova, 2019). The issues of improving the quality of working life, comfortable working conditions, and providing opportunities for creative self-realization of the individual are revealed in the works of Srivastava and Kanpur (2014), the relationship of cultural values is studied by Nielsen (2018).
In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, when assessing the quality of life, the issues of ensuring an acceptable volume of consumption of goods and services, guaranteed access to material and social benefits, the consumer potential of households (Rossinskaya, 2009), and providing the population with affordable housing (Seliverstov and Shevchenko, 2018) are investigated. Gerasimov (2004), Nagimova (2010) investigate this problem on a regional scale.
Practical issues of improving the quality of life are reflected in the works of Sen (1998), Weber (1978), and Gorodnova and Samarskaya (2019).
A special place in the research of the quality of life of the population is occupied by the rating assessment of its various aspects. The British research center “The Economist Intelligence Unit” (2005) developed The Quality of life Index (The Quality of life Index), which links the results of the subjective assessment with objective determinants. Also, the calculation of various indices takes into account the development of the economy, the social environment, and the information structure of the state, including in developing countries. For example, the Legatum Prosperity Index is compiled based on a variety of indicators reflecting various aspects of society and parameters of public welfare: Economic Quality, Governance, Education, Health, Safety & Security, and others (The Legatum Institute, 2019); Satisfaction with Life Index measures the level of subjective well-being of people in the countries of the world (Deloitte, 2020).
In the post-Soviet space, for the first time, the methodology for constructing a system of indicators for analyzing the development of the socio-political situation and assessing the consequences of neoliberal reforms was developed by Lokosov (1998). This system includes 22 indicators for such sections as economic relations, social sphere, demographic situation, environmental situation, deviant behavior, political relations, and spiritual sphere.
Bobkov (2007) developed an approach based on a system of normative consumer budgets of different levels of material and social consumption. The use of the system of consumer budgets in the implementation of state social policy is aimed at improving the standard of living of various categories of the population.
Thus, despite the diverse range of indicators, the quality of life reflects the totality of socio-economic living conditions that determine the material and social well-being of the population and is determined by the level of development of the main spheres of life support and vital activity—material, social, environmental, providing the opportunity to develop the socio-economic potential of both the entire population and an individual.
Research methodology
The methodology of our study of the quality of life of the population of Kazakhstan is based on a holistic approach, including the use of objective indicators of the quality of life that determine the material conditions and means of human livelihood, and subjective assessments of the population, social groups of their material and social well-being. Measuring and evaluating the level and quality of life of the population of Kazakhstan based on an integrated approach includes the use of the following methods: component analysis, normative and stratification, integral indicators, and subjective assessments of the population.
The leading place in the system of methodological approaches to the study of the quality of life belongs to the method of component analysis, the use of which is due to the diversity of the structure, composition, and different content of the main components of the quality of life of the population. This method allows us to determine differences in the degree of development of individual components of the quality of life, as well as to identify factors affecting their positive dynamics (Gaisina, 2017). The study of the quality of life of the population based on component analysis makes it possible to obtain a holistic view of this complex socio-economic category (Manova, 2009).
In our study, the quality of life of the population is a complex category that expresses the level of development of physical, spiritual, and social needs and the degree of their satisfaction. It is determined by the level of development of the main spheres of life support and vital activity and is measured by a system of indicators characterizing income, consumption, employment, education, health, and housing (Figure 1).
Key components of quality of life.
To assess the main components of the quality of life, the method of normative analysis of the well-being of various population groups was used. The advantage of this method is that any social indicator determined by the normative method (e.g. the subsistence minimum, the minimum wage, or the standards of provision of social services), not only represents an objective value and becomes a social norm (standard) but also serve as the basis to calculate the total volume and structure of material goods and services necessary for the population of the country.
Comparative analysis and assessment of the quality of life by its main components allow, first, to identify those components of the quality of life, the level of which does not meet modern standards of human life support. Second, to identify the components of a new quality of life that are formed as a result of the impact of social innovation. This applies to the production of new types of consumer goods and services that create favorable conditions for all periods of human life, to ensure environmental sustainability of the environment and safe conditions for human life through the introduction of advanced technologies, the production of environmentally friendly food, consumer goods, and services.
Another common approach is to clarify the essence of the concept of quality of life based on opinion polls, that is, quality of life is considered as a subjective indicator. The close coincidence of life stereotypes and the possibility of their implementation gives the maximum values for this indicator.
Both of these approaches, taken separately, do not give the desired result, that is, an integrated approach is needed, which will include the study of both objective and subjective indicators that define the concept of “quality of life.”
Results
The level of development of the leading spheres of life support and vital activity of the population of Kazakhstan is carried out based on indicators that determine the level of development of such main areas as the system of income and wages, social and labor sphere, education, and healthcare system, housing, ensuring environmental safety of living conditions of the population.
Income
The key component largely determining the level and quality of life of the population is income. According to the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021), in 2020, the nominal cash income of the population amounted to 104,389 tenges1 (US$274.7), the average monthly nominal wage was 186,815 tenges (US$491.6).
In 2005–2020, nominal cash incomes increased 5.3 times, and nominal average monthly wages increased 4.8 times, its nominal and real indices grew steadily (Figure 2). During this period, real monetary income increased 2.3 times, real wages—1.7 times, real pensions—2.1 times. The consumer price index in 2020 increased by 2.9 times compared to 2005.
Indicators of average monthly per capita nominal monetary income for 2015–2020, KzT.
In 2020, during the period of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, as can be seen from Figure 2, despite the growth in nominal income, the growth rates of both real and nominal income decreased. A certain increase in nominal income is associated with the implementation of government anti-crisis measures. According to the official website of the Prime Minister, more than 4.5 million people who temporarily lost their income received assistance in the amount of 42,500 tenges (US$110) monthly. According to the Official information bureau, more than 550,000 families were covered by the one-time financial support of the “Birgemiz” (We are together) foundation.
Consumption
The most important component of the quality of life of the population is the sphere of material and social consumption. The income of the population as the most important parameter of the resource potential of various social groups should be considered from the standpoint of their influence on the level of consumption and lifestyle. This conclusion is confirmed by a comparative analysis of indicators of income and consumer spending of households on material goods and social services. At the same time, there is an obvious trend toward an increase in the cost of food products and a decrease in the cost of non-food and paid services. This was especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 3).
Structure of consumer spending of the population.
Currently, to measure the quality of the consumer potential of the population, social groups differing in the level of material security, the structure of consumer spending of the population is used. Based on the classification of consumer spending on food, non-food products, and especially on services, and their correlation with the socially necessary level of consumption, households, and social groups with a real level of material consumption are distinguished. This allows us to determine the structure of consumer demand of the population, which is the basis for calculating the need for consumer goods and services of the required volume and the corresponding range.
Of particular importance for assessing the quality of the consumer potential of the population is the definition of the socially necessary level of consumption that the majority of the population should have. It includes goods and services that have received universal distribution, that is, to a certain extent, it should reflect the average level of consumption prevailing in a given period.
Social groups of the population with such a standard of consumption, as the most representative in the social structure of developed countries, have the greatest influence on the formation of the country’s consumer market, stimulating the development of the production of consumer goods and services. However, at present, the actual level of consumption of the population of the republic differs in all parameters from the adequate necessary level of consumption calculated using the normative method (Gaisina, 2017).
Socio-economic differentiation
Of particular importance for assessing the state of the income sphere are indicators that measure the degree of their socio-economic differentiation. Their excess leads to an increase in social stratification and a decrease in social stability in society.
Against the background of the growth of real incomes of the population, the share of income of 20% of the population with the highest incomes, which amounted to 39.5% of total income in 2005, decreased by only 0.4% in 2020, according to the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan, that is, it remained almost at the same level. The share of income of 20% of the population with the lowest incomes increased by 0.8%, which, in our opinion, indicates that the socio-economic differentiation of incomes of the population remains quite high.
In the context of households with different material levels, the incomes of the population of 10% of the poorest population amounted to 28,427.6 tenges (US$81.2), 10% of the most prosperous population—109,388 tenges (US$287.9), 20% of the poorest population—31,335.5 tenges (US$82.5), and 20% of the most prosperous population—96,097.7 tenges (US$252.9). Income indicators of social groups of the population to the socially necessary level of consumption, except the most affluent 10% and 20% of the population groups, do not reach their level (Table 1).
Key indicators of household income and consumer spending (average per capita) for 2020.
Calculated as per data of the Bureau of National statistics of Kazakhstan.
Even though the incomes of 10% and 20% of the richest households exceed the socially necessary level of consumption, the structure of consumer spending of these households is irrational and does not correspond to the social standards of human life support. According to the data of the Bureau of National Statistics, first of all, the share of food expenses is high, which was 47% for 10% of the richest group, and 48.3% for 20% of the richest group. For comparison here are the Riarating data; the share of expenditures on food in the developed countries of Europe is in the range from 8.7% in Luxembourg to 13.4% in Germany.
For the poorest groups of the population, the indicators of expenditures on the consumption of material goods and services for 10% of the poorest population and 20% of the least affluent population reflect a very low level of personal consumption, which directly affects the quality of human potential and the provision of socially necessary conditions for its reproduction. The share of food spending for 10% of the poorest population was 60.2%, for 20% of the poorest population—57.6%, for non-food products—22.2% and 24.9%, respectively, for services—17.5% and 17.6%.
According to the sample household surveys of the population of Kazakhstan for 2020, only 36.5% of respondents have enough money for food and clothing, but they cannot buy durable goods. It should be noted that it is the reduction in spending on food and the increase in spending on non-food products and, especially on services, that determines the quality of the consumer potential of the population in modern conditions.
A comparative analysis of the consumer potential of the population shows that the most negative trends have developed in the consumption of basic food products, especially in low-income families. The high proportion of expenditures on food, the persisting differentiation in the level of consumption and the lack of consumption of basic food products in terms of energy value and the composition of the most important components in the diet reflect the structure of consumer spending on food for low-income families. In the absence of a shortage of basic types of food, the main factor hindering an increase in the level and quality of consumption of essential food is income restriction, which negatively affects the state of human health.
In the sphere of consumption in social terms, a special group of consumer goods and services is of great importance, creating favorable conditions for human development at any period of life and associated with social needs.
Development of new technologies, in particular, wide access to the Internet, has led to an increase in the population’s needs for information products and services, an increase in the level of education, the acquisition of new knowledge and professional skills. With the advent of new types of services, their share in consumer spending will grow, which is an indicator of improving the quality of life.
A comparative analysis of the RIA Rating (2020) calculations based on the data of the national statistical services gives a certain idea of the share of expenses on services that directly affect the quality and development of the potential of an individual and society as a whole. The share of family budget expenditures on leisure and cultural activities directly depends on the living standards of the population of different states. The leaders here are such developed countries as Sweden, where this figure was 18.7%, the United Kingdom—13.0%, Austria—11.5%. Kazakhstan ranks 37th in this indicator, while Russia and Belarus are in the middle of the rating, taking 22nd and 23rd places, respectively.
The social-labor sphere
The quality of the social and labor sphere as an essential component of the quality of life is determined by the high quality of working life: the presence of a decent job, a high level of labor income, the ability to develop professional abilities, a high level of protection of the interests of workers, respect for their rights in the sphere of labor and employment.
In an innovative economy, the requirements for the quality of labor potential, the level of education and qualifications of workers, the ability to work in a competitive environment, to quickly respond to ongoing technological changes, and to master new social and production functions are especially increasing. The innovative vector of economic development forms new conditions for the life of a modern worker and new production and social functions performed by them.
The presence of a special resource potential among representatives of this category of workers allows them to provide them with a decent level of material well-being and a high social status, a high social position in conditions of free competition.
The professional competitiveness of the labor force is ensured not only by a complex of factors, including obtaining high-quality vocational education and professional training, ensuring demand in the labor market but also by creative thinking, a developed system of economic interests and values, innovative abilities, professional competence, and mastery modern skills in work, adequate to the conditions of a changing market, the ability of a highly qualified workforce to continuously enrich knowledge and qualifications, and so on.
In this regard, such a social group as specialists-professionals is of particular importance for assessing the quality of the qualification level. It should be noted that, according to the Bureau of National Statistics, among the specialists, the largest share is accounted for by those employed in science and technology, their share in this group was 13.8%, education—36.5%, business and administration—23.6%. In the information technology industry, professional specialists accounted for 2.8%, in healthcare—10.6%, in law, humanities, and culture—12.6%. The low share of professionals in the field of information technology is due to the small number of people employed in this industry, their share of the total employed population was 1.9%.
Of particular importance in the social and labor sphere is the protection of labor income and ensuring their decent level. The basis of the monetary income of the population of the republic is labor income—wages and income from self-employment and entrepreneurial activity, but the main share in the income structure is wages of employees, which for the period 2005–2020 was in the range from 64% to 70%. As a result, the differentiation of the population’s income is largely influenced by the factors that cause differences in wages, and its value depends on the complex interaction of demographic, economic, and social factors that have different directions.
This situation is largely due to a fairly high level of intersectoral wage differentiation in the country’s economic sectors, as evidenced by the dynamics of wage ratios by industry and sector of the economy. The level of wages of workers in the manufacturing industry to the average for the sectors of the economy of the republic in 2005 amounted to 104.0%, in 2020—114.4%, in mining, respectively—193.1% and 228.5%, in the rural economy—43.4% and 60.2%, in financial activities—233.5% and 205.5%, in education—59.7% and 63.2%, and in healthcare—53.0% and 68.7% (Figure 4).
Average monthly nominal wages by type of economic activity, in USD.
The analysis of the cited data on the prevailing wage levels reflects the strengthening of the intersectoral differentiation of wages, especially in the manufacturing industry and the social sphere. It should be noted that the existing imbalances in the levels of wages in the sectors of the economy of the republic are a serious factor limiting the development of industries producing consumer goods, creating conditions for the social reproduction of the population, providing employment, and budget revenues.
Remuneration, overall income level, and social protection largely depend on the sector of the economy, the region, and the financial condition of the enterprise. As a result, in material terms, the positions of a significant part of highly qualified specialists and skilled workers have significantly decreased, which negatively affects the quality of human capital. This leads to the objective need to compare different types of work, taking into account their volume, complexity, and professional qualifications of the employee, which affect the differences in wages, which are fair from the standpoint of the real cost of labor.
The main direction to strengthen the regulatory role of wages in coordinating the demand for labor and its supply in the Kazakhstan labor market is the development of measures to ensure the real cost of various types of work, taking into account their volume, complexity, level of education and professionalism of the employee based on creating equal conditions for the reproduction of labor resources at the cross-sectoral and intra-sectoral levels, between the public and private sectors, as well as within enterprises, the development of a new system of social standards in the field of income and wages, and so on.
Social sphere (education, healthcare, housing)
The quality of the social sphere, as the most important component of the quality of life of the population, is determined by the high level of consumption of high-quality social services and their availability for the majority of the population. Among these indicators, the key one is the volume of financing of social expenditures as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) directed to social protection, education, healthcare, science, and environmental safety, the amount of which is directly dependent on the level of economic development of the country. Share of state budget expenditures on the social and cultural sphere in 2005 amounted to 13.5%, in 2020—10.7%, including education, respectively, 3.4% and 3.3%, healthcare—2.4% and 2.0%. For comparison, the share of social spending as a percentage of GDP in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries ranges from 18.7% in the United States to 31.2% in France (OECD, 2020).
Priority in the set of indicators that reflect the level and quality of use of various types of services is given to indicators of the housing conditions. Along with such traditional indicators that determine the provision of the population with housing, such as the size of living space per capita, the degree of improvement of the housing stock, the volume of housing commissioned, the average size of apartments, the number of rooms and others, indicators are needed to reflect new trends in the 16 living standards of various groups. population, and in the current model of providing housing for the population.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the provision of housing per capita in 2020 was 21.8 m2, including 24.4 m2 in urban areas and 18.4 m2 in rural areas. Statistical data reflect rather high indicators of the housing stock equipped with water supply, which amounted to 98.4%, with gas—87.8%. However, the indicators that determine the quality of housing conditions are rather low. According to the data of sample household surveys for 2020, the proportion of respondents satisfied with the quality of housing in which they live amounted to 51.1%, including in urban areas—47.2%, in rural areas—57.5%, the indicator of satisfaction with the housing area was 52.5%, in urban areas—46.2%, in rural areas—63.4%.
The share of the population that can independently purchase housing was 8.6%. The main problems with the purchase of housing and improvement of housing conditions, according to respondents, are associated with a lack of money, it was noted by 32.3%, with high-interest rates of mortgage loans—30.3% of respondents.
A special place in the system of indicators of the quality of life of the population is occupied by the parameters of a person’s subjective perception of their well-being. In studies of the quality of life, such a generalized social indicator as “life satisfaction” is of great importance. This indicator is complex since it includes satisfaction with various material and socio-cultural conditions of life support and human activity.
The indicator of satisfaction with the personal well-being of Kazakhstanis, according to the data of sample surveys of households for 2020, was 60.0%, satisfaction with living conditions—was 53.2% (Figure 5). For comparison, the average indicator of satisfaction with their lives in the OECD countries on a scale from 1 to 10 points was 6.5 points, in such a socially oriented state as Sweden—7.3 points.
Respondents’ opinions about their life satisfaction.
It should be noted that the degree of satisfaction with living conditions directly depends not only on the level of material well-being of the family but also in many respects—on the quality of the individual’s potential, the system of his socio-economic values, and claims that form his priorities. The indices of the quality of the provided material goods and social services and their availability for the population are among the necessary indicators of the social welfare of the population. According to sample household surveys for 2020, the share of respondents satisfied with the quality of social services at various levels of education was 45.7% in preschool, 46.9% in general secondary education, 41.3% in secondary vocational education, and 39% in higher education, as well as the quality of healthcare services—32.2%. Indicators of the availability of necessaries and social services were as follows: 9.6% of households are not able to buy clothing and pay for housing, 31.4% of households cannot buy durable goods. Only 18.3% of households can buy their own housing. The availability of education services ranges from 38.2% in higher education to 58.5% in general secondary education. The main indicators that determine the quality and availability of the most important social services for the population of Kazakhstan are presented in Table 2.
Parameters of the quality and availability of social services to the population of Kazakhstan in 2020, in percentage.
Source: Calculated as per data of the Bureau of National statistics of Kazakhstan.
Share of the population who can purchase housing.
In general, any of the approaches and indicators taken separately does not allow obtaining a sufficiently correct assessment. Therefore, a combination of several approaches is an indispensable condition for increasing the reliability and efficiency of the results obtained.
Conclusion
In the current difficult socio-economic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent crisis, the role of the protective functions of the state’s social policy aimed at solving both current and prospective social problems is increasing. Its most important direction is to ensure the sustainability of the functioning of the life support system of the population. The use of various methodological approaches to studying the processes of forming a qualitatively new standard of living for the population of Kazakhstan allows us to give a real assessment of the level and quality of life of various social groups, the degree of socio-economic inequality in terms of welfare, quality of potential, accessibility of social services, life, and professional opportunities and prospects, which contributes to the development of real mechanisms to achieve social standards of developed countries.
Currently, there is no generally accepted scientific definition of the concept of “quality of life.” However, despite the variety of interpretations of this concept in various studies, it can be concluded that the quality of life reflects the totality of socio-economic living conditions that determine the material and social well-being of the population. In our study, we consider the quality of life as a complex category expressing the level of development of physical, spiritual and social needs of the population and the degree of their satisfaction. The study of the level of development of the leading spheres of life support and vital activity of the population of Kazakhstan was carried out based on indicators determining the level of development of such main areas as income and wages, consumption level, social and labor sphere, education and healthcare systems, housing.
The key components that largely determine the level and quality of life of the population are income and consumer spending of the population. The analysis of the quality of the consumer potential of the population has shown that at present its actual level differs in all parameters from the required level of consumption calculated by the normative method. It is determined that the basis of the income of the population of the republic is labor income—wages and income from self-employment and entrepreneurship. It is concluded that the income of the population is largely influenced by factors that cause wage differences, in particular, a fairly high level of intersectoral wage differentiation in the sectors of the country’s economy, especially in the manufacturing industry and the social sphere.
The most important indicators in most methods of assessing the quality of life are the social sphere and its development. The state of this sphere largely determines the processes of reproduction of labor resources, their quantity and quality, the level of scientific and technical development of productive forces, cultural and spiritual life of society. Basic components of the social sphere: healthcare, education, housing and communal services. At the same time, according to the study, according to a set of indicators reflecting the level and quality of use of various types of essential social services, it was determined that the share of the population satisfied with the quality of social services is less than half, including preschool education—45.7%, general secondary—46.9%, secondary vocational—41.3%, higher and postgraduate—39.9%, healthcare sector—32.3%. Only 18.3% can afford to buy a separate home. Thus, the most important components of the quality of life satisfy the population of our country the least.
The formation of social standards of living depends entirely on the economic policy of the state. Ensuring a decent quality of life corresponding to modern progressive views is a priority task of the state, the role of which has been significantly increasing in recent years. The state social policy should be focused on the formation of an adequate concept of the quality of life and a model of a just society that meets the interests of the citizens of Kazakhstan. From the above, it is obvious that improving the quality of life of Kazakhstanis and reaching the level of developed countries should be among the priorities.
Based on the complexity and versatility of the category of quality of life, the formation of a mechanism for managing it requires the development of effective tools for the interrelated assessment of the quality of life and socio-economic development of the country and its regions, which allows not only to obtain accurate quantitative data on the quality of life but also to constantly monitor trends in its changes in order to determine ways to increase it and prevent social tension in the society.
This study is the basis for determining the socio-economic factors of social risks in the life support system of the population of Kazakhstan and the development of basic measures to reduce them.
Footnotes
Author’s note
The article is the author’s original work, hasn’t received prior publication, and isn’t under consideration for publication elsewhere. The preprint “Quality of Life of Kazakhstan’s Population: Assessment of the Main Parameters and Identification of Problem Areas” has been posted to Research Square, the DOI is: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1385263/v1
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The author used her own funds to conduct this research.
