In 2024, social policy accounts for more than 50% of State budget expenditures in Uzbekistan

Social protection is the most important component of state policy

In Uzbekistan, support for vulnerable segments of the population is always put at the forefront, since values such as mercy and mutual assistance are an integral part of the culture and traditions of the people of Uzbekistan.
Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan stipulates in a new version: “Uzbekistan is a sovereign, democratic, legal, social and secular state with a republican form of government.” The adoption of social norms at the level of the Basic Law, on the one hand, is a statement of the country's traditional commitment to the protection and support of citizens, on the other hand, determines the further unchanged vector of state development based on such ideals as social justice and solidarity. 
Over the past period, Uzbekistan has created an effective organizational and legal framework in the social sector, more focused on targeted support. The current legislation in this area consists of more than 1.6 thousand normative legal acts. 
In 2017, reforms (including in the social sphere) received a new impetus due to the adoption of an Action Strategy on five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021. As part of its implementation, significant positive results have been achieved in the health care system, education, and support for vulnerable segments of the population. 
For example, in 2017-2021, the number of ambulance stations reached 1,700, while as of 2016, their number was just over 800. The ambulance fleet has been significantly expanded from 1890 in 2016 to 2842 in 2020. The number of emergency vehicles has been increased 18 times - from 24 to 435.
If in 2016 the amount of funds allocated for medicines and medical devices amounted to 227 billion soums, then in 2021 this figure exceeded 1.7 trillion.
The budget financing of measures for the protection of motherhood and childhood has been significantly increased from 11 billion soums (2016) to 150 billion (2020), for the treatment of oncological diseases - from 8.3 billion to 61.6 billion, hematological and oncohematological - from 2.8 billion to 217.4 billion, respectively. 
The number of pre-school education institutions has tripled. In 2017-2021 alone, over 13 thousand new pre-primary schools were built, as a result, their total number exceeded 18 thousand. These measures have made it possible to increase the level of pre-school education coverage from 27 percent (2016) to over 60 (2021). At the same time, thanks to the introduction of a system of assistance to low-income families, the latter are exempt from paying for the upbringing of children in kindergartens.
As part of the implementation of the above-mentioned strategy, the material and technical base of public education institutions has also been strengthened. If construction and repair works were carried out in 1,439 schools in 1991-2016, then in 2017-2020 - in almost three thousand.
In the first five years of active reforms, the number of higher education institutions has more than doubled: from 61 in 2016 to 141 in 2021. The level of higher education coverage increased from nine percent to 28 percent over the same period.
The logical continuation of the transformations was the adoption of the Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, which provides for systematic measures to implement a fair social policy and the development of human capital.
In July 2022, by Decree of the head of state, the Strategy of Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Uzbekistan was adopted, which identified priority areas and comprehensive action measures for the period up to 2030. It is noteworthy that this document was developed based on the recommendations of the ILO, the World Bank and the United Nations Children's Fund.
As a result of the measures taken in the last three years alone, the number of low-income families receiving benefits has quadrupled and reached 1.9 million. The coverage of child care benefits from low-income families has been expanded. The age of children taken into account when assigning benefits has been raised from 14 to 18 years. Its size has increased by an average of 1.5 times, and the payment period has been extended from 6 to 12 months. The minimum amount of unemployment benefits has been increased 3.2 times. More than 20 new tools aimed at ensuring employment have also been introduced.
If in 2018 the State Budget expenditures on social policy were expressed in the figure of 35 trillion soums, then in 2023 they exceeded 129 trillion. By 2024, this amount exceeded 150 trillion, which is almost 50 percent of all planned budget expenditures.
The strategy "Uzbekistan - 2030" is another important document that provides for key priorities, including ensuring a high quality of life for citizens and sustainable development of society. The Strategy is in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and also covers Uzbekistan's national goals and objectives for sustainable development.
It is noteworthy that 44 of the 100 goals identified in the strategy (almost half) are devoted to social issues: education, public health, improving the quality of relevant services, reducing poverty, supporting youth, developing sports, as well as ensuring spiritual growth and popularization of cultural heritage.
To implement the Strategy "Uzbekistan - 2030", a draft State program for 2024 (the Year of Support for Youth and Business) has been developed. It was submitted for wide public discussion within ten days. During this period, citizens submitted almost 4.5 thousand proposals. 
The feedback mechanism established in recent years, firstly, makes it possible to openly discuss this program with the public, and secondly, taking into account the proposals, to update the measures provided for in the draft program, which will ultimately increase its targeting and effectiveness.
A quantitative analysis of the draft State Program allows us to emphasize that it consists of 240 specific tasks, while 112 (or almost 47 percent) of them are also devoted to the social sphere. About 250 practical measures are envisaged for their implementation. 
Among them are: construction of 43 pre-school and 30 schools, reconstruction of the existing 133 pre-school and 518 schools. These measures will significantly expand the coverage of children. Moreover, in 2024, it is planned to launch buses for students of one hundred schools in remote regions of the country. 
In order to timely detect chronic diseases among the population, an examination of 12.6 million citizens aged 18-40 years is planned. It is planned to screen 10 million people for early detection of kidney diseases, as well as 9.8 million children aged 3-18 years for early detection of oncogematological diseases.
Due attention is also paid to persons with disabilities. Along with the numerous measures being taken, the project also takes into account the assistance of two thousand compatriots in need of necessary operations, as well as providing ten thousand women and children with disabilities with the necessary rehabilitation facilities.
It is planned to organize vocational training, retraining and advanced training for 85 thousand girls for the employment of women. Moreover, the organization of entrepreneurship skills training courses is provided for 90 thousand people. 
As part of the project "Professions of the Future", 7.5 thousand socially vulnerable young people will be trained in modern professions, which will increase their competitiveness in the labor market. 
Special attention in the project is paid to physical development. In this context, it is planned to build 400 sports grounds in makhallas and much more this year.
The above is only part of the great work, the effective implementation of which is aimed at implementing the noble idea of "Reforms - not for the sake of reforms, but for the person."
Feruz Mirzarakhimov.
Head of the sector of legislation in the social sphere of the Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.