This article deals with the development of migration processes and problems of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in labor migration in the context of the formation of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The methodology used in this research includes a literature review and statistical research, which allowed for a study of the dynamics of international migration within and between the states studied. The research focuses extensively on data provided by governmental institutions and international organizations in order to establish a coherent and relevant theoretical framework. The factors concerning and features of population migration and labor migration in Kazakhstan are considered. Negative trends associated with deterioration in the quality and structure of external migration in Kazakhstan, which determine the need to regulate migration flows and attract qualified personnel, are highlighted. The creation of a platform for the exchange of views on the current state and prospects of cooperation in labor migration on the basis of the Kazakhstan-China Business Council and the SCO Business Council is identified as a priority for collaboration between Kazakhstan and China in the field of labor migration. A justification is also made for a mechanism for allocating the obligations of Kazakhstan and China as quotas and obtaining permits to attract foreign labor.

Objective A serious challenge of our time, threatening the whole of humanity, is the lack of food. The aggravation of this problem in many countries is caused by climate change, natural and man-made disasters, deterioration of the epidemiological and geopolitical situation. Therefore, food security is of great importance for achieving global Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of the article is to study the problem of food security and self-sufficiency as a factor of the country’s sustainable development, develop an author's methodology and assess the level of food self-sufficiency in Kazakhstan, substantiate ways to improve it. Hypothesis Proof/refutation of the need to increase food self-sufficiency in order to achieve country’s sustainable development. Methods The author's methodology for assessing food self-sufficiency by individual product groups. Information A comparative analysis of existing methods, official statistical data, FAO data, a list of socially significant food products, physiological norms of food consumption in Kazakhstan. Results Calculations showed an increase in the level of Kazakhstan’s self-sufficiency for most types of socially significant food products in 2010–2022. However, there are big differences across the Kazakhstan’s regions. The level of self-sufficiency was very high in 5 regions, and in 2 western regions there was a very low level of self-sufficiency in most types of products, except meat. Conclusions To improve food security and ensure sustainable development of Kazakhstan, it is recommended to strengthen the state’s regulatory role in the development of the agro-industrial complex, cooperation between agricultural producers and processing enterprises, the development of international food trade.

In recent years, inequality in the economic and social development of regions and population has increased in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of differences between the regions of Kazakhstan in the field of social, economic, innovation, and infrastructural inclusion and offer recommendations for reducing regional inequality. The research hypothesis is that the high level of economic inequality of the regions determines the high level of differences in the field of social inclusion, inclusion in the field of infrastructure and innovation. The assessment of regional differences was carried out according to four groups of economic, social, innovative, and infrastructural indicators; private and integral indices of inclusive development of regions were calculated. The gaps between the highest and lowest index by groups were revealed: social inclusion – 3.37; economic inclusion – 7.45; infrastructure inclusion – 2.96; innovative inclusion – 6.67. A map of inclusive development of the regions of Kazakhstan is developed. Estimates showed that despite the large gap in the economic development of the regions, the gap in social and infrastructural development remained smaller. In cases where the gap between the maximum and minimum values of the index in the regions increased, more and more regions found themselves in the group with a low level of inclusive development. AcknowledgmentThis study is funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. AP09259004 “Priorities and mechanisms of inclusive regional development of Kazakhstan in the context of overcoming the economic recession”).We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and issue editors for their helpful comments.

In today’s world, many countries, including Kazakhstan, are facing growing income inequality, poverty, and an increasing polarization of society. These challenges threaten social stability and make it difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of this study is to investigate the size and trends of regional and sectoral wage disparities in Kazakhstan, as well as to create a typology based on the average wage levels in different regions and to provide recommendations for reducing income inequality. The study tested hypotheses about the relationship between the average nominal wage and the level of GRP, level of education, industry specialization, type of ownership, and size of enterprises. The methods of expert survey, correlation, and cluster analysis were used. The study revealed the tendency of increasing inequality of labor income. The largest differences between wages in extractive industries and agriculture were revealed in the Atyrau (11.5) and Mangystau (9.2) regions and Astana (7.2). Differences in average wages between regions were estimated at 1.7 to 7.8 times. The most significant factors affecting the level of average wages are gross regional product per capita and the share of gross value added of the quasi-public sector in the gross regional product. In order to reduce differences in wages, it is recommended to introduce progressive taxation, apply regional increasing coefficients, and calculate the minimum wage based on the hourly wage rate. AcknowledgmentThis work is supported by the Committee of Science Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant BR21882165).

This research aims to assess the degree of specialization and diversification in the regions of Kazakhstan. The method of calculating the location quotient is used to determine the degree of specialization of the regions. The industrial location quotient for three periods - 2010, 2015, and 2019 - is calculated to observe the dynamics of specialization of industries in the regions. The research identified sustainable, unstable, fading, and emerging. The degree of industrial diversification in the region is determined based on the number of sustainable industries in the region. The categorization of industries according to the dynamics of specialization makes it possible to apply various mechanisms and ways to recover fading industries and support unstable and emerging industries. The research results can be used in designing Kazakhstan's regional industrial and innovation policies.