SMALL BUSINESS AND PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UZBEKISTAN: CONTRIBUTION TO VALUE ADDED, EMPLOYMENT AND EXPORTS — A REGIONAL ANALYSIS (2015–2025)
Matchanov Baltabay Jumaniyazovich
Tashkent State University of Economics Lecturer, Department of Specialized, Social-Humanitarian and Exact Sciences, Tortkul Faculty
Keywords: small business, private entrepreneurship, gross value added, employment, labor productivity, exports, regional analysis, Republic of Karakalpakstan..
Abstract
The article analyzes the contribution of small business and private entrepreneurship to gross value added, employment and exports in Uzbekistan and its regions over 2015–2025, using official data of the National Statistics Committee. The analysis reveals a structural paradox: while small business still employs about three quarters of the working population (74.9% in 2025), its share in GDP declined from 64.6% to 52.2% over the decade. A relative productivity index (the ratio of the GDP share to the employment share) is proposed and calculated for all regions; nationally it fell from 0.83 to 0.70, indicating a widening productivity gap. At the same time, small business exports grew 3.7 times to USD 12.4 billion, and in the Republic of Karakalpakstan the small business share in exports reached 44.0%. Based on the results, proposals are developed for shifting small business from an employment-absorbing to a productivity-driven development model.
