President and youth: co-operation in building the future of the New Uzbekistan

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held an open dialogue with young people on 14 February 2025. The meeting focused on the role of youth in socio-economic life, opportunities created for them and existing problems.

In his speech, the President emphasised that youth is the country's most valuable asset, calling them the ‘golden fund’. Currently, 60 per cent of Uzbekistan's population is made up of young people. It was noted that more than 600 thousand young people enter the labour market every year, and this number is expected to reach one million by 2030. This requires a systematic approach to youth employment and career orientation.

In recent years, special attention has been paid to supporting youth entrepreneurship. As a result, the number of young entrepreneurs has tripled and their share in the business sector has reached 40 per cent. The number of unemployed youth has also been halved, and unemployment has been completely eliminated in 1,889 localities.

Massive reforms have also been implemented in the education sector. The number of higher education institutions in the country has tripled and 42 per cent of young people are enrolled in higher education. At the same time, as a result of the introduction of a system of state compensation for the costs of contract education for women, their participation in higher education has increased 11 times.

At the meeting, the President emphasised that supporting youth initiatives and creating new opportunities for them is one of the priorities. A number of proposals were also made to better study the problems of young people and increase their activity in social and economic life.

The meeting was an important step towards increasing the effectiveness of youth policy in the country, strengthening young people's confidence in the future, shaping them as active members of society. The initiative of the head of state to hold a regular dialogue with young people has confirmed that doors to real opportunities are opening for young people in the New Uzbekistan.

Centre for Analysis of Democratic Processes