Uzbekistan improves its position in the Index of Economic Freedom by 14 places, ranking 86th
2026-03-19 18:35:00 / News of ministry
The Index of Economic Freedom is an important international indicator that assesses a country’s level of economic development, investment climate, and the state of market relations.
The Index is one of 15 priority international rankings and indices identified for Uzbekistan.
In 2025, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings upgraded Uzbekistan’s sovereign credit rating for the first time from “BB-” to “BB”, while Moody's Investors Service improved the country’s outlook from “stable” to “positive.” As a result, borrowing costs for the Government of Uzbekistan and other issuers decreased by an average of 1.06–1.40 percentage points, and the ratings of 17 banks and enterprises were upgraded.
Uzbekistan’s economic freedom score exceeds both the global average (59.9 points) and the regional average (58.6 points). For the first time, the country has been classified as a “moderately free” economy, whereas in previous years it had primarily been categorized as “mostly unfree.”
According to the methodology of the Index of Economic Freedom, countries are classified into five groups based on their scores:
80–100 — “Free”
70–79.9 — “Mostly Free”
60–69.9 — “Moderately Free”
50–59.9 — “Mostly Unfree”
0–49.9 — “Repressed”
Out of 12 indicators used to assess Uzbekistan, positive changes were observed in 8 indicators, negative changes in 2, while 2 indicators remained unchanged.
The report also highlights that Uzbekistan is implementing significant reforms aimed at building a competitive market economy and is pursuing policies that promote economic freedom and facilitate the transition to a more open and modern economic system.
In particular, the government has been reducing its intervention in the banking sector and state-owned enterprises, while procedures for starting a business have been simplified. According to the report, the modern labor market continues to develop; however, a significant share of employment remains in the informal sector.
Despite ongoing inflationary pressures, the country’s monetary conditions remain relatively stable. It is also noted that Uzbekistan is at the final stage of its accession process to the World Trade Organization.
The Index of Economic Freedom plays an important role in assessing the effectiveness of ongoing economic reforms in Uzbekistan, attracting foreign investment, fostering business and entrepreneurship, strengthening the country’s international standing and image, and improving the overall well-being of the population.
PR and Communications Department
Ministry of Economy and Finance