Uzbekistan - February 2025

Newly released statistics show that welfare and economic support programs in Uzbekistan has reduced the country’s poverty rate from 17.0 per cent in 2022 to 8.9 per cent in February 2025. The government also announced in February plans to further restructure the country’s welfare system and launch a new series of economic support policies for low-income households, including grants for poor families and a focus on improving infrastructure and access to water in regions where droughts and shortages are common. Those policies are scheduled to go into effect on 1 April 2025. Academics studying Uzbekistan’s anti-poverty measures, and the World Bank have praised the government’s efforts to date while noting that questions of thorough and effective implementation, especially in rural regions, remain to be addressed.

Sources: Eurasianet, Lex.uz, Lund University, Havli