On April 20, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the draft “Youth of New Uzbekistan–2030” strategy, the country’s first comprehensive youth policy strategy aimed at strengthening the role of young people and unlocking their potential in building New Uzbekistan.
Today, the country’s population is 38 million, of whom 9.5 million, or nearly 25 percent, are young people aged 14 to 30. Every year, about 270,000 young families are formed in the country. This demographic factor requires a long-term and systematic approach to youth policy.
The strategy identifies priority areas such as ensuring youth employment and supporting entrepreneurship, developing quality and inclusive education, promoting foreign language learning and expanding vocational training, stimulating the labor market, and supporting young families. Special attention is also paid to enhancing cultural, physical, and intellectual development, expanding volunteer activities, strengthening youth health, and developing mechanisms for openness and engagement.
Plans until 2030 include providing employment for 600,000 young people annually, attracting 900,000 people in volunteer activities by 2030, increasing the number of training centers to 90,000, enabling 450,000 young people to achieve at least a B2 level of foreign language proficiency, reducing youth crime, and providing annual mortgage support to at least 10,000 young families.
In the field of education, new measures are planned to ensure access to quality education for young people, support non-state education providers, expand opportunities for training centers in remote areas, and promote foreign language learning.
The strategy places special emphasis on supporting young families. Within the mortgage program, it is planned to compensate the portion of loan interest rates exceeding the Central Bank’s base rate, thereby improving access to housing for young families.
The strategy also addresses strengthening youth health, reducing mental health risks, and enhancing the psychological support system. In particular, it is planned to reduce the share of young people in the psychological risk group by 40 percent, establish a 24/7 psychological assistance center, and increase the proportion of youth regularly engaged in sports by 25 percent.
