Uzbekistan Adapts China’s Poverty Reduction Model

The Centre for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) has begun adapting aspects of China’s poverty reduction model to Uzbekistan’s socio-economic context, the centre shared with Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The approach was outlined at the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network meeting in Tashkent in August 2024 and is being implemented in 2025 under a presidential decree on employment and poverty reduction.

Agricultural and Ecological Projects

Initiatives inspired by Chinese examples include agricultural cooperatives where low-income families lease land, supported by subsidies and supply chain integration. Similar schemes promote fish farming, beekeeping and livestock rearing. A project for specialised crop production on 20,000 hectares of forest land involves 10,000 households, while pilot plantations of broussonetie have also begun.

An ecological welfare model provides subsidies to families planting trees, with one basic minimum allowance granted per 100 trees. Tourism initiatives are being launched in 53 mahallas to create 1,300 jobs and attract 2.5 mln visitors annually.

Education, Health and Energy

Vocational colleges have opened in 28 districts to train students from low-income families, while 5,000 young people are receiving IT training to support e-commerce development. Healthcare reforms will soon cover 140,000 poor families, with free diagnostics and home-based medical units expanding rural services.

In energy, 107.8 MW of solar power capacity is being built in 300 mahallas, creating jobs and improving supply in remote areas.

CERR emphasises that the measures are not a direct copy of China’s model but are adapted to Uzbekistan’s institutional and cultural context. The centre continues to provide research and analysis to inform government reforms, positioning itself as a think tank that connects policy design with implementation.