Uzbekistan plans to build 140,000 housing units in 2026

Uzbekistan plans to construct 140,000 housing units in 2026, 150,000 in 2027, and 160,000 in 2028. This was announced today, February 3, during a presentation reviewed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on introducing new approaches to urbanization and housing construction.

It was noted that over the past eight years, 120 million square meters of housing, or more than 600,000 residential units, have been built and commissioned nationwide to meet public demand for housing. To support home ownership, 541,000 citizens were provided with concessional mortgage loans and subsidies totaling 103 trillion soums.

The expansion of construction activity has given a significant boost to the development of the construction materials industry, turning it into a key economic driver for many regions. As a result, the level of urbanization has increased from 40.3 percent in 1991 to 51 percent.

According to the presentation, the President emphasized that the work carried out so far remains insufficient. Nearly 200,000 new families are formed across the country each year, which further increases demand for housing, roads, and social infrastructure. In addition, the average residential living space per person currently stands at 18.9 square meters. To raise this figure to at least 23 square meters, the annual pace of housing construction must be increased to 280,000 units by 2040.

To achieve these goals, a new governance system has been introduced in the field of urbanization, including the establishment of a dedicated committee tasked with gradually increasing housing construction volumes. Specifically, plans envisage the construction of 140,000 housing units in 2026, 150,000 in 2027, and 160,000 in 2028.

The President stressed that well-planned urbanization plays a crucial role in creating favorable conditions for business and startup development, forming industrial and IT clusters, and improving labor productivity.

Special attention was also given to the efficient use of land resources. According to estimates by international organizations, the uncontrolled expansion of settlements could lead to shortages of agricultural land in certain regions in the future.

In this regard, the need to renovate the outdated housing stock and increase the share of renovation in housing construction was emphasized. It was noted that the renovation share should be raised from the current 15 percent to 60 percent by 2040, while the number of New Uzbekistan residential areas should be expanded to 120.

At present, the process of obtaining construction permits consists of nine stages and takes an average of 90 to 120 days. Meanwhile, international practice shows that through the “construction-ready land” mechanism, this process can be reduced to 7–15 days.

It was proposed to introduce this system in Uzbekistan. Under the initiative, all preparatory procedures and permit formalities would be completed before land plots are put up for auction. As a result, entrepreneurs who win land at auction would be able to automatically receive all required documentation without collecting additional paperwork or undergoing further approvals. The auctioning of land plots that are not ready for construction would be prohibited, ensuring transparency and significantly shorter timelines.

Construction quality primarily depends on project documentation. The presentation highlighted the need to fundamentally improve the operations of ToshboshplanLITI, UzshaharsozlikLITI, UzGASHKLITI, and Qishloq Qurilish Loyiha, including by engaging highly qualified foreign specialists and introducing modern management systems.

To ensure proper and efficient planning of urbanization and housing construction processes, the widespread use of digital technologies was emphasized. The presentation proposed developing a unified Housing information system, incorporating a single database of general and master plans, a database of construction-ready land plots known as the Land Bank, a unified geoinformation database of multi-apartment buildings, the escrow system, developer ratings, and other components.

The President approved the proposed initiatives and instructed responsible officials to consistently implement planned, data-driven, and long-term approaches in the sector, as well as to ensure the fulfillment of the established targets.