Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — As of 1 November, Uzbekistan has registered 4.2 million self-employed citizens, an increase of 84% compared to the same period last year, according to the Tax Committee.

The region with the highest number of self-employed remains Samarkand, with 481,200 people, followed by Kashkadarya (423,200) and Tashkent region (400,300).

Tashkent ranks 6th with 365,100 self-employed individuals, behind Andijan (378,800) and Fergana (376,000).

In October, the number of self-employed increased by over 122,000 people, including 4,400 workers in the IT sector and 23,600 people in taxi services.

The largest number of self-employed individuals work in household services — 1.77 million people, which is 2.25 times more than last year. In October, this number grew by 46,500 people.

Other notable sectors include agriculture with 1.05 million self-employed (+52%) and social services with 474,500 self-employed (+62.2%). In October, these numbers grew by 30,000 and 12,200, respectively.

The number of self-employed in the consumer goods and services production sector doubled year-on-year, reaching 395,800 people. In industry, 395,400 self-employed individuals were registered (+49%), while 109,300 people work in IT (+94%).

Approximately 635,200 people are engaged in private passenger transport, with 373,700 of them registering since the beginning of the year. Around 29,000 new private drivers registered in October.

Since 1 September 2022, self-employed individuals have been allowed to engage in passenger transport. To do so, they must register as self-employed, obtain a permit from the State Services Center or through the EPIU, and pay a fee. Private drivers are not required to pay taxes but may pay a social tax of 1 BWR annually to accumulate service years and earn pension rights.

In November 2023, the list of activities available to self-employed individuals was significantly expanded, adding tailoring, atlas production, beadwork, toy manufacturing, and other areas.