press rank #148 · ~$933/mo

Can you live unwatched in Kazakhstan?

Mixed civil liberties, ranked #148 for press freedom. Not individually assessed beyond public indices.

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The privacy scorecard

State surveillance3/5
Facial recognition3/5
No national ID2/5
Data-protection law2/5
Encryption3/5
VPN freedom4/5
Democracy2/5
Free expression2/5
Cash still works4/5
Financial privacy3/5
Crypto freedom3/5
Easy to stay3/5
Off-grid living4/5
8 cameras / 1,000 people press rank #148 ~$933/mo national average

Childhood vaccines: compulsory by law

Childhood vaccination is required by national law here. We have the rule and the penalty, not the official count of how many vaccines the law covers.

If you skip them: Nothing in practice. The law says you must, and names no penalty.

Exemptions: Medical, plus at least one non-medical ground.

Source: Georgetown AMP EID, survey of national legislation, 2024

Legal & financial exposure

Facts about the law, not a privacy score: whether each one helps or hurts depends on what you are trying to do.

Reports your account balances abroad (CRS)

No extradition treaty with the US

Crypto mining is a recognised industry here

One of the largest mining hubs after China’s 2021 exodus, though power shortages led to new restrictions.

4 of 7 signals are unverified for this country: not shown, rather than guessed.

9 real places in Kazakhstan

Facial recognition, Bitcoin friendliness and cost vary by city even inside the same country.

Almaty

~$1,100/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Astana

~$1,100/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Shymkent

~$1,000/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Aktobe

~$850/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Karaganda

~$850/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Taraz

~$900/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Oskemen

~$850/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Aktau

~$900/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Turkistan (KZ)

~$850/mo! facial recognition present₿ crypto 3/5

Weigh Kazakhstan against your own threat model

Surveillance, speech, money: filter thousands of real places across every country and see where Kazakhstan actually ranks.

Browse every place

Not just privacy?

Arcadia matches the same real places against how you actually want to live: weather, cost, healthcare, schools, internet.

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Country-level estimates for orientation, not legal advice. Surveillance law changes fast: verify anything you would act on.