The Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) in collaboration with UNICEF conducted an assessment of child poverty levels and the effectiveness of the social protection system, as stated in the center's press release. This analysis aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current social protection system and propose measures for its improvement to ensure more equal access to social benefits and reduce poverty levels in society.
Researchers evaluated the impact of the social protection system on poverty levels. According to calculations, in the absence of social benefits, child poverty in the country would have increased by 1.6 times.
The indicator of child poverty was calculated based on household budget survey data conducted by the Statistical Agency in partnership with the World Bank. In 2023, more than 16,000 families across the country were surveyed, showing a 7.8 percentage point decrease in child poverty in Uzbekistan from 2021 to 2023. The trend of reducing poverty levels varies significantly between urban and rural areas.
The study revealed that the regions with the lowest levels of child poverty are Navoi and Tashkent, while relatively high levels are noted in Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions.
According to the National Social Protection Agency, the overall coverage of social benefits in Uzbekistan in 2023 reached 10.8 million people. The coverage of low-income families with child benefits and material assistance included 9 million people out of 2.1 million low-income families and 72,500 beneficiary families, with total payouts amounting to 12.3 trillion soums.
CERR also analyzed the distribution of social benefits among different household groups. The effectiveness and targeting of the social protection system were assessed through the analysis of benefit distribution, coverage, and adequacy, as well as their impact on poverty levels.
The study focused on three main categories: old-age pensions, social assistance including child benefits, and direct child benefits. Results were separated based on households receiving targeted social transfers, allowing for differences in their impact on various population groups.
Experts noted that the existing social protection system directs most resources to the least privileged segments of the population. However, calculations show that nearly 6% of those receiving social assistance belong to the wealthiest 20% of households, including 4% of households receiving child benefits.
Conversely, old-age pensions are distributed relatively evenly among all population groups, reflecting a universal approach to elderly population support.
The influence of social assistance on poverty levels was also analyzed, showing that in cases of insufficient income, the absence of social transfers would significantly increase poverty levels, as concluded by researchers.
