In the first eight months of 2026, the poverty rate in Uzbekistan decreased from 5.8% to 3.9%, Uzdaily.uz reported.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan, thanks to targeted assistance to residents, 49 districts and 3,500 mahallas were officially recognized as poverty-free.
These results were achieved through individual outreach to 515,000 low-income families. Approximately 160,000 citizens found employment, 67,000 received preferential loans and subsidies, and another 300,000 were successfully engaged in entrepreneurial activity.
The program also covered education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Around 50,000 children from low-income families received free IT and foreign language training, and 7.7 trillion soums were allocated to modernize roads, water supply, and electricity networks in problem areas.
By the end of the year, the authorities plan to launch a new system for diagnosing the causes of unemployment based on the "Online Mahalla" platform and artificial intelligence algorithms. This will allow for the creation of personalized strategies for exiting social dependence and the monitoring of their effectiveness quarterly.
The decline in poverty rates reflects Uzbekistan's successful transition from traditional benefit payments to a proactive socialization model. The institution of khokim assistants and the individualized family support tool have proven highly effective in increasing the population's real incomes.
The combination of vocational training, small business development, and large-scale investments in mahalla infrastructure creates a solid foundation for the formation of a sustainable middle class, minimizing the risk of citizens falling back into poverty.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 17, 2026