Key facts
- Uzbekistan's poverty rate has fallen from 35% to 6.8% over nine years, with 8 million people moving out of poverty.
- Government programs provide preferential loans, subsidies, and vocational training to support small businesses and self-employment.
- The 'From Poverty to Prosperity' program focuses on building sustainable income through micro-businesses.
- Over 760,000 families received individual development plans in 2025, with over 523,000 low-income households receiving direct support.
- More than 700,000 entrepreneurs have established stable businesses over the past eight years.
- Investments in infrastructure and digital systems like 'Online Mahalla' support economic development.
Uzbekistan is actively reshaping rural livelihoods and reducing poverty through a multi-faceted approach to entrepreneurship, combining social support with micro-business development. Initiatives like preferential loans, subsidies, and vocational training are empowering individuals and families to build sustainable income streams.
In the Fergana region, farmer O‘lmasjon Jumayev exemplifies this shift, having grown his greenhouse and beekeeping operations from a small start with a preferential loan into a stable source of household income. His story is part of a broader national effort, with the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction reporting that 8 million people have moved out of poverty in the last nine years, significantly lowering the national poverty rate.
The government's 'From Poverty to Prosperity' program is central to this strategy, offering tailored development plans, job placement assistance, and entrepreneurship programs. In 2025 alone, over 760,000 families received individual plans, and more than 523,000 low-income households received direct support. Financial backing, including over 2.2 trillion soums in loans and 265 billion soums in subsidies, has enabled hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs to establish stable businesses.
Beyond agriculture, entrepreneurship is flourishing in other sectors. In Samarkand, Fazilat Jo‘rayeva's yurt-style dining concept, serving traditional Uzbek cuisine, now employs 35 people, primarily women, and indirectly benefits around 100 families. Similarly, in Surkhandarya, Akmal Nazarov successfully launched a cattle breeding business with state support, which is now profitable and expanding.
The traditional mahalla structure plays a crucial role, with local assistant hokims connecting residents to resources and opportunities. In Pastdarg‘om district, this focus has led to a significant increase in small businesses within a single mahalla, from 18 to 61 in a year. Authorities prioritize market-driven sectors, such as export-oriented cherry production and metal manufacturing, ensuring that supported ventures have export potential or meet regional demand.
Investments in essential infrastructure, including irrigation systems and electricity networks, further facilitate the expansion of farming and livestock activities. Digital monitoring systems, such as the 'Online Mahalla' platform, enhance coordination and real-time tracking of household income and support programs. Uzbekistan has designated 2026 as the 'Year of Mahalla Development and Community Support,' underscoring its continued commitment to these employment and economic development initiatives.