Uzbekistan Halves Child Poverty in Four Years

Uzbekistan has achieved a significant reduction in child poverty over the past four years

According to UNICEF Representative Regina Maria Castillo, the child poverty rate dropped from 21.5% in 2021 to just 11.4% in 2024, effectively cutting the figure in half. Speaking at an international forum in Namangan, Castillo credited deliberate government policy for the 10-percentage-point decline.

She emphasized that government-funded social benefits, including child allowances and pensions, played a critical role in lifting families out of poverty. Without these support mechanisms, she noted, child poverty could have sharply increased during the same period. Castillo also highlighted the importance of universal state-provided services, such as education, healthcare, and child protection, as essential pillars for developing human capital. She stressed that prioritizing child poverty reduction within broader socio-economic policy is vital, adding that UNICEF stands ready to support the Uzbek government through a multi-sectoral approach.

Reducing poverty has become a central national priority in Uzbekistan. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has set an ambitious target: to lower the national poverty rate to 6% by the end of 2025 and to eradicate absolute poverty entirely by 2030. These goals build on substantial progress already achieved. According to official figures, approximately 7.5 million people have been lifted out of poverty in recent years. The national poverty rate declined to 8.9% in 2024, down from around 23% a few years prior. The World Bank estimates that poverty in Uzbekistan has halved since 2015, a rate of decline faster than the regional average.

At the Namangan forum, Mirziyoyev announced that as of mid-2025, the poverty level had dropped further to 6.8%, placing the country on track to meet its 6% year-end target. “Thanks to consistent reforms, 7.5 million people have been lifted out of poverty… The objective is to reduce this to 6% by year-end,” he said. “By 2030, Uzbekistan has every opportunity to completely eradicate absolute poverty and we will definitely achieve this.”

Several key drivers underpin the country’s progress. Rising household incomes account for roughly 60% of the recent poverty reduction, according to the World Bank. With the economy nearly doubling in size over the past eight years, economic growth has translated into higher wages and job creation, lifting many families above the poverty line.

Another major contributor has been the expansion and modernization of social benefit programs. Increased spending on pensions and direct aid has protected millions from falling into extreme hardship. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Uzbekistan mobilized $8 billion for free medical supplies and direct payments, which prevented an estimated 5.2 million people from falling into the “poverty trap.”

Looking ahead, sustaining these gains will hinge on job creation and human-capital improvements, sharper targeting in social protection, and stronger climate resilience – especially in rural regions. UNICEF’s 2024 situation analysis likewise flags regional disparities in child poverty and stresses better services for large, low-income households. The World Bank’s climate assessments, meanwhile, warn that rising temperatures and mounting water stress could push vulnerable rural families back into poverty without quicker adaptation in agriculture and water management. Together, these risks define the to-do list for keeping child-poverty declines on track.

Source: The Times Of Central Asia.

Photo credit: @UNICEF.

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