Uzbekistan aims to raise urbanization rate to 65% by 2040 – President Mirziyoyev

The president highlighted the intensifying global challenges linked to urbanization, noting that nearly 3 billion people worldwide lack adequate housing. Among them, over 1 billion live in slums and informal settlements, while 300 million have no shelter at all. He pointed out that new waves of migration triggered by climate change, international tensions, and economic crises are driving a massive redistribution of populations between states and cities, demanding decisive and urgent global action.

With Uzbekistan’s population projected to grow from 38 million to 50 million by 2040, the expanding urban footprint presents a unique opportunity for the balanced development of regions and sustained economic growth. Since 2016, the volume of housing construction in the country has increased tenfold, reaching 238,000 units by the end of last year, with plans to increase this figure by another 1.5 times by 2030. Currently, the state budget allocates $2 billion annually to fund affordable housing programs.

To address the challenges of informal and substandard housing, a specialized law was adopted in 2024. Furthermore, the government aims to increase the share of dilapidated housing renovation within the total volume of construction from 15% to 60%.

The New Tashkent project serves as a prime example of the country's strategic shift, integrating progressive urban planning standards alongside green, smart, safe, and 15-minute city principles. Investment projects exceeding $25 billion are already underway within this initiative.

Addressing the forum delegates, the Uzbek leader put forward several initiatives to improve global urban management. He advocated for balanced urbanization, emphasizing the need for the equitable development of small and medium-sized towns to prevent overconcentration in megacities.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring equal access to artificial intelligence and digital transformation tools for municipal governance. To facilitate this, he proposed the creation of an international alliance of smart and safe cities to enable the systematic exchange of information, technologies, and administrative standards.

Securing quality affordable housing for young people and vulnerable segments of the population remains a core priority for the administration. To foster broader cooperation on this issue, the president announced that Uzbekistan is ready to host an international forum on housing investment in Samarkand in 2027.

Finally, the president emphasized the adoption of shared principles for green city development. He proposed hosting the 15th session of the World Urban Forum in Tashkent in 2030, with a focus on the role of local communities in urban development.