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The priority areas of the "Uzbekistan 2030" Strategy, adopted on September 11, 2023, include sustainable economic growth, the creation of a new education, healthcare, and social protection system, the creation of favorable environmental conditions, the construction of a just and modern state, and the guaranteed provision of the country's sovereignty and security. A cross-cutting priority for all these reforms is the growth of people's well-being, their trust in the state, and their confidence in the future. Overall, the strategy update represents a shift from goals to management based on measurable results, linked to implementers and funding.
What changes have been achieved during the strategy's implementation period? The effectiveness of the strategy is reflected both in statistical indicators and in changes in the quality of life and consumer activity of the population. From 2023 to 2025, nominal GDP increased from $107.5 billion to $140 billion, exports and foreign investment are growing, and innovation is developing. The resulting reform indicators included a reduction in unemployment from 6.8% to 4.9% and a reduction in the poverty rate from 11% to 6.8%.
What are the reasons for updating the Strategy "Uzbekistan – 2030"?
The objective of accelerating the country's further development has led to an update of the strategy and its target indicators. The "Uzbekistan 2030" Strategy has been revised based on external and internal factors. External factors include the global geopolitical situation, global economic trends, technological innovation, natural and environmental changes, and growing demand for energy and water resources. Internal factors currently include demographic growth, urbanization, and migration, which require strengthening institutions and improving governance effectiveness. Based on this, the country has developed the draft "Uzbekistan 2030" Strategy for 2026–2030 (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy). The draft revised Strategy has been published for public discussion.
Within the same five priorities and 100 goals, the updated Strategy includes changes to individual objectives and performance indicators. Most of the existing targets have already been achieved, while new objectives have been added, leading to an expanded and updated list of performance indicators. Furthermore, the document identifies the responsible ministries and agencies, as well as the specific funding sources required to achieve each goal.
In what areas do reforms provide “mechanisms of change”?
Economy . The largest number of objectives and performance indicators are in the area "II. Ensuring the well-being of the population through sustainable economic growth." The plan is to increase GDP to $240 billion by 2030 by maintaining annual inflation within 5-6 percent, ensuring fiscal stability, increasing the country's investment attractiveness, efficiently utilizing local raw materials and developing industry and services based on advanced technologies, deepening the integration of the Republic of Uzbekistan into global transport and logistics networks, and strengthening the export potential of the national economy.
The transition to a green economy, transforming the country into a regional "IT Hub" through the development of digital technologies, increasing competition in the banking sector, creating the most favorable conditions for entrepreneurial freedom, and comprehensive regional development will create new jobs, ensure employment, and increase incomes. This will contribute to reducing poverty and increasing prosperity, which will lead to the development of economic sectors, particularly construction, tourism, and the service sector.
Education. These Strategy goals also include creating favorable conditions for realizing the potential of young people and developing education and healthcare. Section "I. Creating favorable conditions for realizing the potential of every individual" develops performance indicators that will enable us to achieve the following goals by 2030: ensuring 50% enrollment of graduates of comprehensive schools and academic lyceums in higher education and their employment in industries and sectors with decent wages. Achieving inclusion of 10 higher education institutions in the top 1000 rankings of the most prestigious higher education organizations in the world (QS, THE, ARWU) will enhance the competitiveness of our youth not only in local but also in international labor markets.
The implementation of the enterprise-university-research organization cluster system will facilitate the expansion of innovative products in key economic sectors. The creation of spin-off production clusters at higher education institutions is envisaged to accelerate the economic integration of scientists' scientific ideas in transport and logistics, agricultural production, energy, biotechnology, geology and metalworking, mechanical engineering, and electronics. The development of science, particularly among young people, will improve Uzbekistan's position in the Global Innovation Index and enable it to join the top 60 most innovative countries in the world.
Health. It is said that education reduces the risk of disease and increases life expectancy, and health (physical, mental, and social) is the foundation for a fulfilling life and self-fulfillment. The Strategy aims to increase life expectancy over the next five years, reduce early mortality from cardiovascular diseases (30-69 years), cancer, and respiratory diseases, and reduce the incidence of life-threatening congenital defects in children. Nine performance indicators are included in the area of maternal and child health. Promoting proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle among the population and reducing the prevalence of obesity among adults are also on the Strategy's agenda.
Social protection. For vulnerable groups, the state will continue its policy of radically improving the system of professional social services, creating a new system of support for individuals with disabilities, and creating a comfortable and supportive environment for them. For children without parental care, alternative non-institutional forms of care will be fully implemented, and for children with special educational needs, inclusive education coverage will be increased.
The state places special emphasis on empowering women. Different cultures have diverse ideas about the roles of men and women, shaped by history, religion, and tradition. At the same time, globalization and the country's potential development prospects require policies to ensure gender equality and increase women's social and political participation. The draft Strategy includes objectives such as increasing the number of women trained in professional and entrepreneurial skills, increasing the number of women actively using information and communications technology, increasing the proportion of women in leadership positions to over 30 percent, and resolving family relationships in conflict or on the brink of divorce.
Ecology, Law, and Security . The priorities of "Water Conservation and Environmental Protection," "Ensuring the Rule of Law, Organizing Public Administration Focused on Serving the People," and "Consistent Continuation of a Policy Based on the Principle of a 'Secure and Peaceful State'" are also on the Strategy's agenda, with specific objectives and performance indicators identified.
Mechanisms for achieving goals for each priority
The mechanisms for achieving the goals for each priority are reflected in strategic documents. For example, to implement the objectives of the "Water Conservation and Environmental Protection" Priority, the National Climate Strategy for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation and the Strategy for the Implementation of Industrial Waste Management Measures were developed.
To develop the economy's key sectors and achieve GDP growth of up to $240 billion by 2030, industry strategies have been developed: the Industrial Development Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Automotive Industry Development Strategy, the Light Industry Development Strategy, the Construction Materials Industry Development Strategy, the Jewelry Industry Development Strategy, the Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Modernization, Accelerated, and Innovative Development Strategy for the Construction Industry.
The development and implementation of strategic documents at the regional level will enable the achievement of goals and objectives in a comprehensive and targeted manner. For example, the Comprehensive Development Strategies for All Spheres until 2030 in each region of the republic consider the socioeconomic development of the region through the prism of the economy and well-being of the local population. The development of such documents involves not only local authorities but also leading ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Energy, the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, and others.
The republic's think tanks, including the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies and the Center for Economic Research and Reform, participated in the development of sections of the Strategy. This demonstrates that Uzbekistan is pursuing an evidence-based policy, where decision-making in various areas (economics, social sphere, ecology, law, security) is based on scientific data, forecasts, and expert assessments to achieve medium- and long-term goals.
Key expected outcomes up to 2030 (macro outcomes)
The key outcomes of the updated "Uzbekistan 2030" Strategy are expressed through economic, social, environmental, and other indicators. In the economic sphere, the country is expected to achieve macroeconomic stability and sustainable GDP growth to $240 billion, transforming the country into a regional "IT Hub" and joining the top 60 most innovative countries in the world, deepening its integration into global transport and logistics networks, and strengthening the export potential of the national economy. Creating a favorable business climate, sustainable jobs, and ensuring employment will reduce income inequality and poverty. The country is expected to eliminate absolute poverty (based on the cost of minimum consumer expenditures) and reduce it to 0 percent.
In the social sphere, plans include creating favorable conditions for realizing the potential of young people, improving education and healthcare, as reflected in target indicators of increasing life expectancy to 78 years, achieving 80% kindergarten enrollment, and 50% higher education enrollment. Expected targets include improving the quality of education at universities, including the inclusion of 10 higher education institutions in the top 1000 rankings of the most prestigious higher education organizations in the world (QS, THE, ARWU), and implementing a "company-university-research organization" cluster system.
In the environmental field , the transition to a green economy is expected to continue, with the introduction of green energy technologies, the construction of houses that meet the green standard, an increase in the culture of rational water use and the development of water-saving technologies, and the prevention of air pollution and the negative impacts of climate change.
Doctor of Economics, Professor D.M.Karimova
Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Studies
Republic of Uzbekistan
