Country Context
Uzbekistan | 2022 |
Population, million | 35.6 |
GDP, current $ billion | 80.4 |
GDP per capita, current $ | 2254.9 |
Life Expectancy at Birth, years | 70.3 |
Uzbekistan has developed an ambitious set of reforms in recent years, but more are needed to continue to spur private sector-led growth and job creation. Notably, reducing the dominance of state-owned enterprises and opening up key sectors of the economy to competition would strengthen market incentives and sustainability.
On December 20, 2022, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered his Annual Address to the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) informing about his government's plans and priorities for 2023. The President identified six priority areas, which included the following: implementing public administration reform; continuing to strengthen a “social state” putting individuals at the core of the government’s actions; ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms as a constitutional obligation of the state; strengthening the protection of natural resources, including water and subsoil resources; improving the business environment through free market mechanisms, ensuring healthy competition and the inviolability of private property, and supporting entrepreneurship; attracting investments and privatizing the largest state-owned enterprises and state-owned banks.
In December 2022 and January 2023, citizens and businesses experienced unprecedented natural gas and power outages across the country, including in the capital. These developments highlighted the systemic crisis and needs for reforms in Uzbekistan’s energy sector, which are also supported by the World Bank and other development partners.