The GFCI, published biannually by the City of London's renowned think-tank Z/Yen Group Limited, in collaboration with the China Development Institute, evaluates financial centres across the globe based on various factors. These include the business environment, development of the financial sector, infrastructure quality, human capital, and the overall reputation of the city. In the 36th edition of the GFCI, 133 cities were assessed, highlighting the growing competitiveness of financial centres worldwide.

Astana’s rise in the GFCI is largely attributed to the efforts of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), which has played a pivotal role in transforming the city into a financial powerhouse since its inclusion in the index in 2018. The AIFC’s commitment to building a modern regulatory framework, fostering a robust financial ecosystem, and creating a business-friendly environment has been instrumental in attracting international investors and businesses to the region.

In addition to Astana’s success, the city of Almaty has also shown considerable progress, climbing to second place in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. This positions Kazakhstan as a regional leader, with both of its major cities outpacing other regional financial hubs like Tallinn, Cyprus, and Prague.