In the first half of 2025, Uzbekistan’s unobserved economy totaled 265.5 trillion soums ($21.24 billion), equivalent to 32.9% of the country’s GDP, according to a report from the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Statistics, as cited by the Fergana news portal.
The unobserved economy consists of two main components:
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Informal activity — households and businesses operating without registration, amounting to 201.3 trillion soums ($16.1 billion).
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Shadow economy — enterprises concealing data from tax authorities, totaling 64.2 trillion soums ($5.14 billion).
The highest shares of unregistered activity were recorded in agriculture (over 75%), construction (35.9%), and services (35.2%).
Uzbekistan’s GDP for the reporting period reached 808 trillion soums ($64.64 billion), up 7.2% compared to the same period in 2024. A year earlier, the shadow sector accounted for 34.8% of GDP ($40.4 billion).
Authorities continue efforts to legalize shadow economic activities. In 2024, the budget received an additional 16 trillion soums ($1.28 billion) in revenues, while 15,000 jobs and 9,000 entrepreneurs were officially registered. By 2030, the government aims to halve the size of the shadow sector.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 12, 2025