Uzbekistan cuts poverty rate from 35% to 4% since 2017
Uzbekistan’s poverty rate has fallen from 35% in 2017 to 4%, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence.
Uzbekistan has dramatically reduced its poverty rate from 35% to 4% since 2017, according to President Mirziyoyev. He attributed this improvement to government policies that have enhanced living standards for approximately 10 million individuals. A key initiative has been the implementation of a neighborhood-centric support system designed to assist low-income households, addressing aspects such as income, employment, healthcare access, children's schooling, and housing quality.
The president reported that over 650,000 families have been provided with contemporary housing. Significant advancements have also been made in education over the last decade, with preschool enrollment climbing to 78% and schools accommodating an additional 1.5 million students. University enrollment now stands at 1.6 million, with female students comprising over 50% of this figure.
Mirziyoyev also drew attention to transformations within the healthcare sector. Funding for healthcare has seen an eightfold increase in recent years, accompanied by the construction of 652 new medical facilities nationwide. The volume of medical services provided has tripled, he noted.
Furthermore, life expectancy in Uzbekistan has risen from 66.4 years in 1991 to a projected 75.4 years by 2025. Concurrently, both maternal and infant mortality rates have decreased by a factor of four.