Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At the end of February this year, the report of the Economic Freedom Index for 2023 was published.

Uzbekistan with 56.5 points (+0.8 points compared to last year) took 109th place among 176 countries of the world, rising by 8 points compared to last year.

Uzbekistan recorded positive changes in 7 out of 12 indicators and negative in 5.

In particular, positive changes are observed in the following indicators:

State integrity (+1.1 points), tax burden (+2 points), labor market freedom (+0.1 points), monetary freedom (+2.3 points), trade freedom (+0.4 points), freedom investment (+10 points) and financial freedom (+10 points).

It was noted that after years of economic stagnation, Uzbekistan has been pursuing a policy aimed at ensuring economic freedom since 2017, which encourages a transition to openness and modernization.

At the same time, Uzbekistan lost positions in such indicators as property rights (-0.7 points), judicial efficiency (-0.1 points) public spending (-3.2 points) fiscal health (-11.3 points) business freedom (-0.2 points).

Rule of law indicators (property rights, judiciary efficiency and state integrity) are lower than the global average as barriers to basic economic freedoms in Uzbekistan, and important reforms are needed in this regard.