Uzbekistan’s trade, accommodation, and food service industries maintained robust growth in the first quarter of 2025, with Gross Value Added (GVA) in these sectors reaching 39.1 trillion soums (approximately $3.8 billion), according to data from the National Statistical Committee.
This marks an 8.8% year-on-year increase in real terms, reflecting a steady expansion of the country’s services sector, which has become a vital engine of Uzbekistan’s broader economic development strategy.
The current growth builds on a multi-year upward trend:
Though annual growth rates have fluctuated slightly, the overall trajectory remains positive. After peaking at 107.2% in 2023, growth slowed modestly to 104.6% in 2024 before rebounding to 108.8% in the first quarter of 2025.
Economic Significance
The trade and hospitality sectors are increasingly integral to Uzbekistan’s economic diversification goals, especially as the country moves away from a traditional reliance on extractive industries. The expansion of these industries is also creating jobs, stimulating domestic consumption, and attracting private investment.
The government has prioritized improvements in business regulation, infrastructure, and digitalization to support continued development in services. Analysts suggest that if the current pace continues, Uzbekistan is well-positioned to expand its role as a regional hub for commerce and tourism in Central Asia.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source wh...
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing tr...
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with larg...
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing trade across Asia points to an increasingly connected region.
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with large-scale returns and growing pressure on housing, jobs and basic services.
Iran will soon join the New Development Bank (NDB), the lender established by BRICS nations, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said in a state media report on Wednesday ahead of a BRICS finance meeting in India.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has outlined an expanded vision for the Zangezur Corridor, describing it not simply as a transport route connecting mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan exclave, but as a future platform for energy, telecommunications and wider regional integration.
Iran and Russia are seeking closer cooperation on arms control and Iran’s nuclear programme as the two countries deepen strategic ties amid heightened tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment