UN General Assembly
2011

has transformed itself from a sluggish raw materials- based economy, with a destructive monoculture of cotton, an underdeveloped industrial and social infrastructure and low-per-capita consumption, into a modern country with a steadily developing economy. The following evidence clearly testifies to the fact that, over the past 20 years of independent development, Uzbekistan’s economy has grown by a factor of 3.5 and the population’s total income has increased by a factor of 20. Despite the negative impact of the ongoing global financial and economic crisis, Uzbekistan continues to develop at a steady pace. Over the past five years, the growth in gross domestic product (GDP) has averaged 8.5 per cent. This year, it is expected that that level will be maintained. Striking achievements have been made in implementing the goals set out in the Millennium Declaration. During the years of independence, State expenditure in the social sector has increased more than fivefold. About 60 per cent of the annual budget is devoted to the development of health care, education, communal services, social welfare and other sectors.