The Economic Potential of the Regions of Kazakhstan: Comparative Analysis and Regional Accessibility

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between regional accessibility and economic potential in Kazakhstan based on empirical data processing. The study shows that transport infrastructure, measured by the length of roads and railways, is one of the decisive factors affecting regional accessibility. The structure of the study consists of four essential stages: data collection; identification of leading directions; correlation and regression analysis; substantiation of conclusions, and recommendations. The variables used in the comparative analysis are the operational length of railway lines, the length of public roads and the gross regional product. The correlation and regression analysis results revealed significant links between the length of railways and highways and the gross regional product (GRP) of the selected regions. The obtained models for South Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan and Karaganda regions showed high positive relationships based on high values of R-squares. The study results showed that the variables included in these models strongly correlate with the overall regional changes in output and better explain their positive relationships. The study emphasizes the importance of taking into account regional differences in infrastructure development and economic indicators. As a result of the results obtained, conclusions should be drawn, and recommendations should be made policy makers can use that to promote balanced and inclusive regional development by reducing inequality.