Uzbekistan profile

Demography and Health

Uzbekistan had about 36.36 million people in 2024, placing it in the upper tier of population size among its regional peers. The country displays a relatively high birth rate of 26.5 births per 1,000 people (2023) alongside a crude death rate of 6.21 per 1,000, suggesting a youthful population structure with substantial potential for a demographic dividend if jobs, education, and health services keep pace with growth. Life expectancy at birth stands at 72.4 years (2023), reflecting improvements in health but still leaving room for enhancement in longevity outcomes. The under-5 mortality rate is 13.3 per 1,000 live births (2023), indicating ongoing child-health challenges that could be mitigated with stronger maternal, neonatal, and pediatric health programs. Uzbekistan’s health system shows mid-range capacity, with hospital beds at 4.86 per 1,000 people (2021) and physicians at 2.81 per 1,000 people (2021), implying that scaling up healthcare access will remain a priority as the population grows. Health expenditure accounts for 7.36% of GDP (2022), with domestic health expenditure per capita, PPP, of 244 international dollars (2022), signaling a moderate level of public investment per person in health. The country also hosts a high rate of internet usage—about 89% of the population online (2023)—which offers channels to expand health information, telemedicine, and digital health services, though poverty remains non-trivial (11% of the population at national poverty lines in 2023) and undernourishment persists at 2.5% (2022). Net migration in 2024 is negative (-7,066 people), underscoring ongoing outward movement that can influence the available skilled labor pool and put pressure on social services and remittance dynamics. Overall, demography and health reflect a young, increasingly connected population with rising health and social needs that require continued public investment and inclusive policies.

Economy

Uzbekistan’s economy operates with a nominal GDP per capita of 3,162 US dollars (2024) and a GDP per capita in purchasing power parity of 11,879 international dollars (2024), indicating a lower-middle-income profile with significant development headroom. The country demonstrates a growing emphasis on knowledge-intensive activities, illustrated by high-technology exports totaling 200,637,379 current US$ (2023) and 413 resident patent applications (2021), which rank 73rd and 44th respectively on their indicators. Research and development expenditure stands at 0.125% of GDP (2023), signaling a modest but improving investment climate in science and innovation. Inflation runs at 9.63% (2024), a level that can erode real incomes and complicate business planning, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. The economy exhibits a mixed openness profile: exports of goods and services reach 22.8% of GDP (2024), while imports of goods and services account for 38.0% of GDP (2024), indicating substantial domestic reliance on foreign inputs and a persistent trade deficit dynamic in the macro file. External financing shows net FDI inflows of 2.47% of GDP (2024), evidencing a moderate degree of international investor confidence, though not at the frontier levels seen in more integrated economies. The current account balance sits at -4.99% of GDP (2024), consistent with a growing economy importing capital-intensive goods and capital services. Together, these numbers suggest a transition economy with meaningful gains in technology and investment but ongoing inflation concerns, a need for stronger macro stabilization, and continued focus on diversifying exports beyond traditional commodities.

Trade and Investment

In 2024, Uzbekistan’s import intensity remains relatively high, with imports at about 38% of GDP and exports at roughly 22.8% of GDP, underscoring a trade pattern that leans on foreign inputs and external markets. The presence of 2.47% of GDP in net foreign direct investment inflows signals a moderate but meaningful interest from abroad in Uzbekistan’s growth prospects, potentially anchored by reform steps and consumer-market expansion. The country’s current account deficit of -4.99% of GDP (2024) points to financing needs that could be addressed through a mix of export growth, higher value-added production, and prudent external borrowing or capital inflows. Intellectual property activity—413 resident patent applications (2021)—and high-technology exports totaling around 200.6 million US$ (2023) indicate a developing capacity in knowledge-based sectors, suggesting room to deepen integration into regional and global value chains. The Logistics Performance Index rating of 2.4 (2022) for quality of trade and transport infrastructure, while not the worst, reveals substantial opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce trade costs, which would bolster competitiveness and attract further investment. Taken together, trade and investment dynamics reveal a country with potential gains from structural reforms, improved logistics, and increased export sophistication to complement its current account position.

Governance and Institutions

Uzbekistan’s governance indicators show persistent structural weaknesses in several dimensions. Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism score -0.155 (2023), with a rank around 113, signaling a moderate risk environment relative to global peers. Regulatory quality sits at -0.577 (2023), and the rule of law is notably weak at -0.833 (2023), pointing to challenges in contract enforcement, judicial reliability, and business predictability. Control of corruption stands at -0.808 (2023), and government effectiveness is -0.284 (2023), both suggesting that public sector performance and anti-corruption efforts still need strengthening to incentivize investment and improve service delivery. The combination of limited regulatory certainty, weaker rule of law, and corruption concerns can directly impact private investment, procurement, and the ease of doing business. On a more positive note, Uzbekistan shows progress in digital adoption and related policy reforms that could lay the groundwork for enhanced governance. The Logistics Performance Index’s moderate rating (2.4) also highlights governance challenges in moving goods efficiently across borders and through domestic networks. Overall, while there are signs of reform momentum, continued emphasis on rule of law, anti-corruption measures, regulatory quality, and predictable governance is essential to unlock the country’s growth potential and improve public trust.

Infrastructure and Technology

Uzbekistan exhibits a compelling mix of digital strength and infrastructural gaps. Internet penetration is high, with 89% of the population online in 2023, enabling digital services, e-government, and online commerce to expand rapidly. Physical health infrastructure appears mid-range with 4.86 hospital beds per 1,000 people (2021) and 2.81 physicians per 1,000 people (2021), indicating capacity constraints relative to population size that could be addressed through targeted investments. High-technology exports reach 200.6 million US$ (2023), and resident patent applications are 413 (2021), reflecting a nascent but growing knowledge economy. R&D expenditure is 0.125% of GDP (2023), signaling considerable headroom to boost innovation activity and productivity through human capital investment. The Logistics Performance Index score of 2.4 (2022) suggests room to improve transport and trade-related infrastructure, which would lower costs for manufacturers and exporters and attract more international trade and investment. Renewable energy consumption is only 1% of total final energy consumption (2021), highlighting a heavy reliance on conventional energy sources and presenting a clear opportunity for diversification toward renewables as part of a broader modernization strategy. Taken together, infrastructure and technology show strong digital foundations and notable innovation activity, but substantial upgrades in healthcare, energy diversification, and logistics are needed to support inclusive growth.

Environment and Sustainability

Uzbekistan faces pronounced environmental and sustainability challenges. The Level of water stress—freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources—is reported at 122.0 (2021), signaling critical water scarcity pressures and the risk of competing uses in agriculture, industry, and households. Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita are 6.02 t CO2e (2023), placing Uzbekistan in a mid-range category for carbon intensity among emerging economies, but with substantial potential to reduce emissions through energy transition and efficiency gains. Renewable energy consumption remains very low at 1.0% (2021), underscoring heavy dependence on fossil fuels and presenting a major path for decarbonization efforts. The prevalence of undernourishment is modest at 2.5% (2022), and poverty sits at 11% (2023), indicating that while food security and income support have improved, vulnerable populations still require targeted climate-resilient livelihoods and social protection measures. The combination of severe water stress and low share of renewables suggests that climate adaptation and sustainable water management will be central to Uzbekistan’s development strategy, particularly in agriculture-driven sectors. Relative to its development indicators, progress in environmental governance and clean-energy investment will be crucial for long-term sustainability and resilience.