Development of the service sector in Uzbekistan and diversification trends

Abstract

Assessing the role of the service sector in Uzbekistan's economy and evaluating its internal structural changes are of considerable academic and practical importance. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the development dynamics and structural transformation of the service sector over the period 2010-2025. The research employs long-term observation and comparative quantitative analysis based on data from the National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the World Bank. The findings show that the share of services in GDP increased from 41,1% to 48,6%, while the volume of paid services provided to the population rose from UZS 27,1 trillion to UZS 1050,3 trillion. At the same time, significant shifts occurred in the composition of the service sector: the shares of accommodation and food services, as well as financial services, increased, whereas the relative shares of transport and trade services declined. The findings indicate that, alongside the quantitative expansion of the service sector, its diversification and the growing importance of knowledge-based services are becoming increasingly prominent.