Uzbekistan’s poverty rate decreased to 8.9% during 2024, Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) said, citing data from the Agency of Statistics under the President and the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction. At the beginning of last year, the figure was 11%, and in early 2023 it was 14%.

The assessment was conducted in collaboration with the World Bank using international standards. The survey covered over 16,000 households compared to 14,000 in 2022 and around 10,000 in 2021.

Over the past year, 719,000 people were lifted out of poverty, the report said. The lowest poverty rate was in Navoiy region (5.7%), while the highest was in Khorezm region (11.9%).

The report attributes poverty reduction to increased employment opportunities, support for entrepreneurship and efficient land use.

As a result of these measures, real incomes grew by 10.7% last year, averaging 2.1 million soums ($161.8) per capita per month, up from 1.7 million soums ($131) at the beginning of the year.

The primary sources of income in 2024 were:

  • wages — 42.6% (compared to 41.9% in 2023);

  • entrepreneurial income — 22.9% (21.4%);

  • pensions, social assistance and subsidies — 18.2% (18.9%);

  • agricultural and household earnings — 10.7% (9.8%);

  • remittances from abroad — 2% (3.1%);

  • other sources — 3.6% (4.9%).