Poverty threshold updated in Uzbekistan

Based on the annual inflation rate in 2022, the value of the minimum consumption expenses calculated for 2023 was 568 thousand soums per person per month, the information service of the Statistics Agency reported.

For information, the amount of minimum consumer spending in Uzbekistan was 440 thousand soums in 2021, and from January 2022, it was set at 498 thousand soums.

The new amount of 568,000 soums is 12.4% higher than the previous 498,000 soums. Let's remind that the official inflation rate for 2022 was 12.3%.

In world experience, it is common to use the minimum consumption expenditure as a poverty threshold, and this indicator is used for the following purposes:

•  determining the target group of the population in need of material and other social assistance of the state;
•  determining the country’s poverty threshold and taking into account the real consumption characteristics and requirements of the population in the target group;
•  increasing the effectiveness and targeting of the tasks and measures set in the strategies and programs for combating poverty, as well as their continuous monitoring;
•  as a criterion for determining the minimum amount of pensions and allowances, as well as other types of financial support given to poor families.