Uzbekistan's Mirziyoyev modernizes Karimov system, not builds new state

September 9, 2026 at 07:00 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Ten years after Islam Karimov's death, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has opened Uzbekistan's economy and society, with GDP growth reaching 7.7% in 2025 and poverty falling to 5.8%. But the political system remains centered on the president, with access to benefits tied to proximity to his family. Reforms stop where they threaten the ruling regime's dominance.

Key Facts

Uzbekistan's economy grew at an average of 5–6% per year under Mirziyoyev, accelerating to a record 7.7% in 2025.
Poverty fell from 17% in 2021 to 5.8% in 2025, and unemployment dropped from a pandemic peak of 10.5% to 4.8% by 2025.
Foreign direct investment inflows reached $11.9 billion in 2024 alone.
Under Karimov, women under 35 needed parental permission to leave the country; now document checks take no more than five minutes.

Economic Opening

Mirziyoyev's reforms have transformed Uzbekistan's economy, with average annual growth of 5–6% and a record 7.7% in 2025. Poverty declined from 17% in 2021 to 5.8% in 2025, while unemployment fell from 10.5% during the pandemic to 4.8% by 2025. These indicators are now calculated according to international standards, unlike the embellished reports of the Karimov era. Foreign direct investment reached $11.9 billion in 2024, reflecting the country's exit from international isolation.

Political Continuity

Despite economic liberalization, the political system remains centered on the president, who makes decisions through manual control. Access to benefits is determined by proximity to the president's family, and reforms stop where they threaten the ruling regime's dominance. Mirziyoyev has not built a new Uzbekistan but rather modernized the Karimov system, returning to the logic of relying only on loyalists and attributing all achievements to the first person.