Economic growth in Kyrgyzstan is projected to moderate from an estimated 11.1% in 2025, but remain strong at 8.9% in 2026 and 8.4% in 2027, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) flagship economic publication. Growth is expected to ease as construction and trade normalize, while domestic demand remains
On April 9, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals aimed at developing e-commerce and establishing bonded warehouse operations in Uzbekistan. Over the past eight years, the volume of e-commerce in the country has grown twentyfold, reaching $1.3 billion. The number of digital platforms exceeds 120. As a result of expanded self-employment opportunities and simplified licensing and taxation
Uzbekistan’s solar and wind power plants generated a total of 911.7 million kWh of electricity in March 2026, up 9.7 percent year on year, Xinhua reported citing Uzbek media. The output represented an increase of 92.1 million kWh compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Energy. Of
Kazakhstan continues to increase grain exports, confirming the strong demand for Kazakh agricultural products in foreign markets. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, from September 2025 to March 2026 (since the beginning of the current 2025-2026 marketing year), Kazakhstan exported 9.9 million tons of grain and flour in grain equivalent, a more than a million-ton
Sometimes history comes full circle. In the year marking the 690th anniversary of Amir Timur, born on 9 April 1336, it feels especially meaningful to reflect not only on the great commander and empire builder himself, but also on how his image continues to live on in world literature, translation, and publishing. Back in 2010,
On April 7, Tashkent hosted the official launch of the “100 Products Accelerator” Program, designed to facilitate the entry of domestic goods into global markets, according to the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade. The opening ceremony was attended by Ilzat Kasimov, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade. This initiative is implemented in
Construction of a world-class film studio, Dala Stage, has begun in the town of Kaskelen in the Almaty region. According to the press service of the Almaty region’s governor, one of the most notable moments at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony was the delivery of a time capsule from Jackie Chan, which was transported by helicopter.
The head of the State Tax Service estimates the shadow economy in Kyrgyzstan as currently standing at approximately 12%. Almambet Shykmamatov told local media that efforts to bring businesses out of the shadows are ongoing, and that this does not include punitive measures. According to the latest data from the National Statistical Committee, Kyrgyzstan’s non-observed (shadow)
The Cloudwards analytical project published the Internet Freedom by Country in 2026 report. It analyzed data from various sources across four key categories to measure how easy it really is for netizens in each country to access online sites and services. These categories include torrenting, adult content, political and civic content, and VPN accessibility. The
A Government meeting on April 7 chaired by Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov discussed issues of developing coal energy and implementing the National Project on Coal-Fired Power Generation. Bektenov noted that the project provides for the commissioning of about 8 GW of additional capacity over 5 years through the construction of 8 new power
On April 6, Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor attended the first meeting in Washington D.C. of the U.S.-Uzbekistan Business Investment Council alongside Uzbekistan’s Head of the Presidential Administration Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva. Speaking at the meeting, Special Envoy Gor stated, “President Trump understands the importance of Central Asia, and especially Uzbekistan, in
The project of the Zangezur Corridor was high on the agenda of the second meeting of heads of government of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Baku, Azerbaijan on April 2. Founded in 2009 to foster comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations, the OTS includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and
Kazakhstan has approved regulations for equipping shelters for the population protection. The new standard covers basements, underground parking lots, and other subterranean spaces, according to the press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan. In Kazakhstan, a new standard for shelters in case of emergencies has come into effect from January 1,
Bekhzod Khashimov, an economist and researcher at the University of Wisconsin, analyzed the current state of Tashkent’s urban environment. He’s come to the conclusion that despite high-quality private services in the Uzbek capital, public services remain in a critical state, Tashkent Today reported. The expert points to the following infrastructure issues: • Inaccessible environment: sidewalks
According to the 2026 Index of Economic Freedom published by The Heritage Foundation, Uzbekistan scored 60.3 points and ranked 86th globally, improving its result by 2.3 points from the previous year. This moved the country into the moderately free category. Notably, Uzbekistan’s current score is already above the 2026 global average of 59.9, the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry
A large share of expenditure on food remains the main indicator of low well-being of the population in Kazakhstan. In 2025, spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 13.9% compared to the previous year, and has increased almost six-fold since 2010, finprom.kz reported citing data from the Bureau of National Statistics. Despite the growth
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Uzbekistan annually consumes 23% more water than nature can replenish. The country’s “water stress” level has reached 123%, officially confirming that the crisis has moved from prediction to reality, Tashkent Today reported. The situation remains uneven in the Central Asian region. Turkmenistan recorded
UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais visited the city of Samarkand, as part of her official visit to Uzbekistan, where she took part in the opening of the UN Tourism Thematic Office “Tourism on the Silk Road”, according to the Uzbek Tourism Committee. One of the key highlights of the program was the official inauguration
In China’s Fujian province, discussions were held regarding the localization of production and the launch of new Chinese enterprises with investments of up to $1.2 billion in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration. This was announced following the visit of Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliyev, to Fujian province.
In 2025, microcredit organizations in Kyrgyzstan issued loans totaling approximately $983 million to more than 1.685 million recipients, according to the latest data released by the National Statistical Committee. Compared to 2024, the number of microloan recipients increased 1.5-fold and the amount of microloans issued grew by almost 32%, reflecting the growing role of microfinance in a