World Bank raises Uzbekistan's GDP growth forecast to 7.9%

The World Bank has improved the forecast for the growth of Uzbekistan's economy in 2026 from 6.4% to 7.9%. This is stated in the organization's report on the economy of Europe and Central Asia.

Compared to the April estimate, the indicator has been increased by 1.5 percentage points. The forecast for 2027 has also been raised - from 6.7% to 7.5%, and in 2028, the World Bank expects the growth of the republic's GDP at the level of 7.1%. Among the developing countries of Europe and Central Asia, in 2026, a higher rate is forecast only for Kyrgyzstan (9.6%), while in 2027, Uzbekistan may take the first place.

Experts associate the economic upturn with stable domestic demand, an increase in real wages, an increase in employment, the volume of money transfers, as well as investments in infrastructure, energy, and the housing sector. Uzbekistan's budget deficit in 2026 is expected to be at the level of 2.2% of GDP.

A separate block of the report is devoted to the impact of technologies. According to the organization, in Uzbekistan, 48% of specialists, 43% of managers, and 27% of office workers use artificial intelligence in their workplaces. At the same time, about 39% of surveyed working citizens stated difficulties with basic operations - moving or copying files without outside help.