Publication Details
Abstract
The study examines the demographic dynamics of business entities in Uzbekistan during 2017–2025, the main indicators of their economic development, and the implications of these trends for economic security. Using official statistical data, trend, comparative, and structural analysis are applied to assess business registration, activity, birth and liquidation rates, as well as the contribution of business entities to GDP, industry, investment, construction, employment, exports, and imports. The results show that business demography generally strengthened through 2023, while 2024 was characterized by a sharp decline in the share of active enterprises to 67.8% and an increase in inactive entities to 32.2%, followed by a partial recovery in 2025. At the same time, the export share of business entities increased from 22.0% in 2017 to 36.6% in 2025, whereas their share in GDP declined from 65.3% to 50.2%. The discussion indicates that the high contribution of business entities to employment, compared with their contribution to GDP, reflects continuing productivity and value-added constraints. Regional disparities, limited access to finance and modern technologies, and uneven digitalization also remain important risks to sustainable development. The study concludes that strengthening business survival, productivity, innovation, financial access, digital transformation, and regionally balanced support mechanisms is essential for improving the economic security and long-term resilience of business entities in Uzbekistan.