On September 11, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals for the effective organization of the population and agricultural census processes. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
In the country's long-term development strategy, demographic and socio-economic indicators of the population, living conditions and welfare levels, as well as the state of agriculture, are assessed based on accurate data. For this reason, the census processes have been designated as a primary priority.
The last nationwide census was conducted in 1989. Subsequently, significant reforms were implemented in this area.
In particular, the "Law on Population Census" was adopted, according to which the population is to be counted every ten years, and agriculture at least every five years. A pilot census was conducted in 2021 for the population and in 2022 for the agricultural sector; however, due to the need to study necessary conditions and international experience for a comprehensive event, the process was postponed.
The new proposal was developed with the support of the World Bank, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It stipulates that the population and agricultural census will be conducted from January 15 to February 28, 2026.
The first 17 days will be carried out online, followed by one month of door-to-door visits with the assistance of neighborhood committees. This method significantly reduces costs, enabling savings of approximately 1.3 trillion soums.
The processes will be simple and transparent, with the number of questions reduced from the previous 328 to 71. As a result, in accordance with the recommendations of the European Statistical Conference, a unified, complete, and reliable database on the country's population will be created.
This data will include population size and structure, migration processes, family status, sources of income, and types of activities. In the agricultural sector, precise information on land use, livestock, and poultry numbers will be collected.
This information is crucial for the effective use of funds amounting to 25.6 trillion soums allocated to agriculture, including 2.2 trillion soums from the state budget, and for ensuring food security. To successfully organize the processes, neighborhood committees will be trained and incentivized based on special training programs.
The project's financial support will be provided by the World Bank. Additionally, extensive promotional work will be conducted through mass media and social networks to adequately inform the population.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved this plan and gave clear instructions to systematically, qualitatively, and effectively carry out the population and agricultural census activities. Source of information: zamin.uz.
