Uzbekistan Rises 43 Places in World Bank Women, Business and the Law Index

Uzbekistan has climbed 43 places in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law index this year, reaching 48th position among 190 economies, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in a message to a regional forum on investment in women and education held in Bukhara.

Mirziyoyev’s message highlighted additional gains, noting that women now make up 35% of public administration positions in Uzbekistan while female participation in higher education has risen sharply in recent years. The forum brought together regional leaders, UN officials and policymakers to discuss economic inclusion, labour participation, healthcare access and the role of women in societies with young and growing populations.

UN Population Fund Executive Director Diene Keita spoke at the Bukhara gathering and pointed to Central Asia’s demographic profile as a major long-term opportunity. “Central Asia is important for the wealth of the entire humanity,” Keita told Euronews.

” Uzbekistan conducted its first national census in more than three decades, a process that international organisations described as critical for long-term planning.

According to the UNFPA, reliable demographic data allows governments to adapt education systems, healthcare infrastructure and employment policies to the actual needs of different population groups, including women and young people. “When you know where the young people are, where the women are, where the elderly are, you can adapt services according to real needs,” Keita said.

UN officials and regional representatives also linked gender equality directly to economic resilience and future growth.

The discussions in Bukhara were framed by a stark global statistic: less than 5% of women worldwide live in countries that grant them full legal equality, the World Bank says. Euronews reported that the Bukhara forum centred on how investment in women and education could drive long-term development across Asia.

Mirziyoyev’s message positioned Uzbekistan’s recent gains as evidence of progress that aligns with the broader regional conversation on human capital.