Uzbekistan’s economy transforms rapidly. Since the death of longtime dictator Islam Karimov in 2016, Central Asia’s most populous country has enacted wide-ranging reforms, opening up the economy to outside investment and liberalizing trade. It has seen rapid growth with GDP increasing 7.5% in 2025. Uzum, a fintech company founded in 2022, has become a sort of national digital infrastructure, TechCrunch reported, thanks to the country’s young, educated population, high smartphone adoption rates, and few other online banking services. Overseas investors are betting on further growth: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development lists the country among its top five investment destinations.
aptalim on
I have been to Uzbekistan twice and did a lot of research on modern Uzbek politics (and learned a tiny bit of the language for research in my bachelors). Fascinating country but without the structural advantage of Kazakhstan (that being, well, oil fueling a surprisingly robust service economy). Uzbekistan is one of the poorest countries in Central Asia, it’s a low baseline to improve from. Still heartened to hear any good news out of it, and with a tourism boom and surprisingly robust transit system (clinky cheap trains and world-class high speed rail) I think it has a good future ahead.
Public-Finger on
Europe?
Steamed_Clams_ on
But they have inferior potassium.
Typical_Effect_9054 on
What % of this is with regards to the distribution of goods to and from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine?
5 Comments
Uzbekistan’s economy transforms rapidly. Since the death of longtime dictator Islam Karimov in 2016, Central Asia’s most populous country has enacted wide-ranging reforms, opening up the economy to outside investment and liberalizing trade. It has seen rapid growth with GDP increasing 7.5% in 2025. Uzum, a fintech company founded in 2022, has become a sort of national digital infrastructure, TechCrunch reported, thanks to the country’s young, educated population, high smartphone adoption rates, and few other online banking services. Overseas investors are betting on further growth: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development lists the country among its top five investment destinations.
I have been to Uzbekistan twice and did a lot of research on modern Uzbek politics (and learned a tiny bit of the language for research in my bachelors). Fascinating country but without the structural advantage of Kazakhstan (that being, well, oil fueling a surprisingly robust service economy). Uzbekistan is one of the poorest countries in Central Asia, it’s a low baseline to improve from. Still heartened to hear any good news out of it, and with a tourism boom and surprisingly robust transit system (clinky cheap trains and world-class high speed rail) I think it has a good future ahead.
Europe?
But they have inferior potassium.
What % of this is with regards to the distribution of goods to and from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine?