Current State, Dynamics and Structural Characteristics of Poverty in the Bukhara Region

This paper presents a comprehensive empirical analysis of the current state, dynamics, and structural characteristics of poverty in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan for the period 2021-2025. Using World Bank monetary poverty estimates, the UNDP-OPHI-CERR Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) pilot data, International Labour Organization (ILO) employment statistics, and official data from the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan, the study examines both the pace and determinants of poverty reduction. The findings reveal that while the national monetary poverty rate declined substantially from 17.0 percent in 2021 to 5.8 percent in 2025, multidimensional poverty remains significantly higher at 18.4 percent, underscoring the limitations of income-based measures alone. The Bukhara region (MPI index M0 = 0.095; monetary poverty 6.0%) is classified in the middle depressed-yet-developing group, where low educational attainment, food insecurity, and informal employment are the primary deprivation drivers. A widening Gini coefficient (0.31 to 0.35 in 2022-2023) signals growing inequality that risks undermining the inclusiveness of economic growth. The paper concludes that effective poverty reduction in the region requires multidimensional intervention strategies encompassing wage policy, formal employment promotion, investment in human capital, and targeted social transfers.