Presidential election, floating exchange rate, Gennady Golovkin’s record and death of Batyrkhan Shukenov were the most notable events for Kazakhstan people in 2015

DEMOSCOPE  Bureau for Express Monitoring of Public Opinion has conducted a public opinion to find out which events people in Kazakhstan consider as the most important and notable in 2015. 1870 respondents from Astana, Almaty and 14 regional centers of Kazakhstan took part in the poll. 74% of females and 26% of males aged over 18 were interviewed by phone and online. 
The poll was conducted from 25 to 28 December 2015. The statistical error does not exceed 2%.

As it was expected, the floating exchange rate of the national currency is considered by respondents as the most notable economic field of 2015. 36% of the respondents mentioned it. And only 5% recalled that last year the Eurasian Economic Forum started its work.

The corresponding data were received after the poll conducted by DEMOSCOPE Express Monitoring of Public Opinion.

Among the other notable economic events of 2015 the interviewees mentioned the following: Kazakhstan’s entering WTO (20%); oil price drop (19%) and appointment of the new head of Kazakhstan National Bank (18%). To remind, in November 2015 Daniyar Akishev replaced Kayrat Kelimbetov as the head of Kazakhstan National Bank.

Only 2% of the respondents mentioned moratorium on inspections of small and medium sized business as the most important event of 2015.

The re-election of the president and legal case against former prime-minister of Kazakhstan Serik Akhmetov were the most memorable political events for 38% and 27% of the interviewees correspondingly. The poll participants also mentioned 100 concrete steps set out by the president to implement 5 reforms (19%) and launching of Nurly Zhol program to support reform in the country economy and to decrease shortage of public welfare homes (16%) as the most notable political events in Kazakhstan in 2015.

As for the sport events, the people of Kazakhstan (with 41% of the respondents) mostly remember Gennady Golovkin who beat David Lemieux and set the new world record by getting 21 victories by knockout.

At the same time, team and individual success of the Kazakhstan weightlifters was also among the most notable events of 2015. 16% of the poll respondents are sure that the key sport event of the last year was the full set of licenses for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro won by the Kazakhstan national team in weightlifting.

Two world records set by Ilya Iliyin on the competitions for the Russian Federation President’s Cup were also mentioned b 14% of the interviewees.

Another 14% shared the opinion that the most notable sport event was qualification of Astana football club to the UEFA Champions League group stage.

The remaining 15% mostly remember the moment when Almaty lost 2022 Winter Olympics bid to Beijing.

From the opinion of 39% of the poll respondents, death of Batyrkhan Shukenov – a poet, composer, singer, Honored Artist of Kazakhstan and UNICEF goodwill ambassador – left the most memorable trace in the cultural life of Kazakhstan in 2015. For 36% it was celebration of the 550th Anniversary of Kazakh Khanate. In addition, 13% of the respondents mentioned Kazakhstan singer Dimash Kudaibergen who won gran prix in the musical contest Slavyanskiy Bazar, while 12% remember Kairat Nurtas’ big music show on the stage of Astana-Arena.

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