Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on February 14 announced new measures to expand opportunities for young people, including a dedicated bank for youth entrepreneurship and tax incentives for employers hiring those under 30.

Around 60% of Uzbekistan’s fast-growing population is under the age of 30, with over 30% under the age of 14. The government therefore views investment in youth as critical to the country’s economic and social development.

The new initiatives build on the Yoshlar Daftari (Youth Notebook) programme, introduced eight years ago to improve education and employment prospects. Government data shows the programme has helped halve youth unemployment, significantly increased academic qualifications and tripled the number of young entrepreneurs.

According to the figures, more than UZS345bn ($26.4mn) in financial aid has supported 155,000 young people, helping students, workers and aspiring entrepreneurs. The share of young entrepreneurs has tripled, and they now represent 40% of the business sector, underscoring their growing economic role.

Uzbekistan's youth policies have been recognised internationally, with the country ranked among the top 10 nations implementing the United Nations' "Youth 2030" strategy.

“Today, our motherland is entering a new historic stage of its development. During this period, we naturally face difficult tasks, obstacles and challenges that we have not faced before,” Mirziyoyev told young people at a meeting in Tashkent. “However, no matter how difficult it is, we will definitely achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves.”

Education reforms under Yoshlar Daftari have led to a seven-fold increase in the number of master’s students, while state-funded tuition has boosted the number of female postgraduates 11-fold. The number of young researchers obtaining academic degrees has doubled to 4,357, and international education programmes have expanded, with 2,300 students studying abroad in the past seven years, compared with just 800 in the previous 25 years.

The government has also prioritised language skills, with 2mn students learning foreign languages over the past three years and high IELTS scores increasing five-fold.

Mirziyoyev pledged further initiatives, including a $100mn Youth Entrepreneurship Development Fund offering preferential loans up to UZS2.5bn to young business owners. Additionally, Alokabank will be restructured with $200mn in funding, providing business loans between UZS100mn and UZS5bn for ventures in manufacturing, agriculture and services.

To support youth employment, tax incentives will be introduced for companies hiring people under 30. The government will also establish creative industry parks with a preferential tax regime until 2030, as well as business schools to foster skills in innovation and entrepreneurship.

By enhancing their participation in the economy, education and the arts, Uzbekistan is seeking to equip young people with the means to drive the country’s future growth. The percentage of youth not in education, employment or trading in Uzbekistan stood at 15.4% in 2024, according to the World Bank, significantly down from 47.5% in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of higher education institutions increased from 108 in 2019 to 199 in 2022, raising enrollment among 18-22-year-olds from 20% to 28%.