Modern Life & Policies
A very young country, moving quickly
Uzbekistan has around 37 million people — more than the rest of Central Asia's states put together — and a median age of roughly 28. That demographic fact shapes almost every policy decision made here.
What changed after 2016
A programme of economic liberalisation began after the 2016 presidential transition. The som was floated in September 2017, ending a long-running gap between official and street exchange rates. Exit visas — a Soviet-era requirement for citizens to obtain permission to travel abroad — were abolished in 2019. Visa-free entry was extended to citizens of more than ninety countries. In 2022 the International Labour Organization reported that the cotton harvest was free of systemic forced and child labour, and the long-standing international boycott of Uzbek cotton was lifted.
Cities, work and the internet
Tashkent is building upward for the first time, and its metro — closed to photography until 2018 — has gained new lines and an elevated ring. IT Park Uzbekistan offers tax residency to software firms and has pulled a substantial share of young graduates into export services work. Tourism has grown quickly from a low base, helped by the visa changes. Labour migration remains a defining feature of many families' economics, and remittances are a significant part of household income outside the capital.
Highlights
- Uzbekistan is the most populous country in Central Asia, with around 37 million people
- Exit visas, required of citizens since Soviet times, were abolished in 2019
- The som was floated in September 2017, unifying the official and market exchange rates
- Citizens of more than ninety countries can now enter without a visa