Uzbekistan's poverty rate dropped to 8.9% in 2024

Uzbekistan's poverty rate dropped from 11% to 8.9% by the end of 2024, reducing the number of people in poverty by 3.3 million — 719,000 fewer than in 2023, according to the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction. The most significant declines were recorded in the Bukhara and Samarkand regions.

Based on research conducted in collaboration with the World Bank, this result highlights the regions with the most significant poverty reductions:

- Bukhara region – from 11.8% to 8.7%;
- Samarkand region – from 10.5% to 7.5%;
- Namangan region – from 10.4% to 7.6%;
- Republic of Karakalpakstan – from 13.6% to 10.8%.

“The reduction in poverty in 2024 was primarily driven by initiatives focused on boosting employment, fostering entrepreneurship, and improving the efficiency of land use for household and agricultural activities,” the ministry stated.

In 2024, household income saw significant growth, with real income per capita increasing by 10.7%, reaching an average of 2.1 million UZS per month, up from 1.7 million UZS at the beginning of the year.

The income structure of the population was as follows:

- Salaries – 42.6% (up from 41.9% in 2023);
- Entrepreneurial income – 22.9% (21.4%);
- Pensions, social assistance, and subsidies – 18.2% (18.9%);
- Agricultural and household farming income – 10.7% (9.8%);
- Remittances from abroad – 2% (3.1%);
- Other income – 3.6% (4.9%).