More than 86% of Kazakh citizens trust the president, according to opinion polls presented by the Kazakhstan Institute for Social Development, reports infohub.kz.
On July 17, 2026, in Astana, the Kazakhstan Institute for Social Development (KIOR) held a meeting of the Sarap expert club on the topic "Electoral Landscape-2026: Public Expectations and Voting Trends." Participants included representatives of the expert-academic community, heads of research institutes, analytical organizations, doctoral students, and master's students from leading universities. They discussed public expectations ahead of the Kurultai elections under the new Constitution, the strengthening role of party structures, and increased citizen engagement in electoral processes.
During the meeting, results from two KIOR studies were presented: "Socio-Political Situation for Q2 2026" (2,400 respondents) and "Political Orientations of Kazakhs" (1,200 respondents). "The indicators of two independent studies show comparable results and indicate that the electoral period is starting amid high public consolidation, optimism, and steady trust in state institutions," the report said.
According to the first study, 84.1% of Kazakhs assess the socio-political situation as favorable or stable, significantly higher than in Q1 (70.4%). "The survey demonstrates strengthening optimistic public sentiment. The share of citizens rating their mood as excellent or even increased to 88.5%, while the proportion experiencing anxiety fell from 15.2% to 11.5%. Life satisfaction reached 85.8%. Over half of respondents (50.5%) said their family's financial situation improved over the past year, and the share expecting positive changes in the coming year grew to 60.1%," the institute added.
Young people show strong positive attitudes. Among Kazakhs aged 18–28, 87.1% assess the socio-political situation as favorable or stable — the highest among all age groups. Youth also have the most optimistic outlook: 65.6% of young respondents expect their life to improve in the next year.
"There is a dynamic increase in trust in state institutions. In Q2 2026, trust in the president stood at 86.9%. This figure is characteristic of all age groups, indicating broad public support not limited to specific socio-demographic categories," KIOR noted.
According to the "Political Orientations of Kazakhs" study, 75.1% of respondents said they are ready to vote in the upcoming Kurultai elections. A firm intention to participate was expressed by 37.6%, while another 37.5% chose "more likely yes." "The highest level of electoral readiness is among the older generation (80.7%), while among youth it is 69.4%. Citizens with higher education and rural residents also show higher readiness to vote," the institute reported.
Summing up the meeting, participants noted that the upcoming Kurultai elections launch a new stage in the development of the country's political system. This is one of the key and anticipated events in society, reflecting the prospects for further institutionalization of representative power in Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan Institute for Social Development is accredited by the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to conduct public opinion polls during the electoral campaign.