Turkmenistan

Key findings in 2015

Percentage of respondents who agree with the following statements	Turkmenistan	Central Asia	Transition region	Western Europe
Economic situation good or excellent	94	55	22	34
Economic situation in the country improving	74	61	29	36
Economic situation in the area or city improving	66	40	32	35
Good time to find a job	89	54	25	34
Comfortable living on present income	82	37	17	36

“Central Asia” refers to the average of six countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. “Western Europe” refers to the average of five comparator countries: France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and  the United Kingdom. Regional averages in the country assessments are based on population-weighted averages of the country scores.

 

Satisfaction with the economic situation and with personal circumstances

94 per cent of respondents in Turkmenistan report to be satisfied with the economic situation of the country. 74 per cent believe that the national economy is improving and 66 per cent believe that local economy is doing well. Both figures are above the averages for the transition region as a whole, the Central Asia region, as well as the western European comparator countries. 89 per cent of respondents also believe that it was a good time to find a job at the time of the survey, again, the highest percentage in the sample. In addition, 82 per cent of respondents report that they live comfortably on their income – the highest figure in the sample.

60 per cent of Turkmen respondents are satisfied with their lives. This percentage is higher than the average for the transition region as a whole (43 per cent) and in line with the Central Asian average (60 per cent). However, life satisfaction is lower than in the western European comparator countries (74 per cent). 97 per cent of respondents believe that in five years after the survey, they will be more satisfied with their lives – the highest figure in the sample. Similarly, 91 per cent of respondents report that they are satisfied with their standards of living.

 

Channels of communication

34 per cent of Turkmens have a landline telephone at home, 86 per cent use a mobile phone to make and receive personal calls, and 50 per cent have internet access. All three figures are below the corresponding averages for the transition region and the western European comparator countries.

 

Self-assessed health

54 per cent of Turkmens report that their physical health is near perfect. This figure is in line with the averages for the transition region (52 per cent), the western European comparator countries (57 per cent) and the Central Asia region (59 per cent).

 

Quality of public services

In general, Turkmens are satisfied with the quality of public services. 87 per cent report satisfaction with the public transportation systems, 82 per cent are satisfied with roads and highways, 84 per cent of Turkmens state that the quality of the air is satisfactory, and 57 per cent are satisfied with the availability of good affordable housing. Collectively, these figures are higher than the corresponding averages for the transition region, the Central Asia region (except for housing), and the western European comparator countries.

 

Social and economic mobility

93 per cent of Turkmens believe that people can get ahead in life by working hard. This figure is higher than the averages for the transition region (62 per cent), the western European comparator countries (81 per cent), the Central Asia region
(88 per cent).

 

Gender and inclusion

97 per cent of Turkmens believe that women are treated with respect and dignity in their country. 85 per cent of respondents believe that their city or area is a good place for immigrants. Compared to 2011, this figure increased by five percentage points and is now substantially higher than the transition region (57 per cent), the Central Asia region (70 per cent), and the western European (79 per cent) averages.

 

Satisfaction with the government

Turkmens are satisfied with their government’s efforts to help the poor (90 per cent) and to protect the environment (83 per cent). Both figures are well above the averages for the transition region, the Central Asia region and the western European comparator countries.

 

Civic engagement

39 per cent of respondents report that they made donation to a charity in the month before the interview and 60 per cent of respondents volunteered in an organization. These figures are well above the transition region average.