Every time Uzbek citizens file taxes, renews their driver’s license, pays utility bills – all of which can be done from their smartphone – they participate in one of Central Asia’s most ambitious state-building projects, many without thinking who governs the growing digital power created by the systems they use.
Central Asia’s most populous country, Uzbekistan, is undertaking an ambitious push toward a digital economy and electronic governance. In 2024, it ranked 63rd out of 193 countries with an E-Government Development Index (EGDI) score of 0.7999, entering the “Very High EGDI” group for the first time. In the latest World Bank GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) Uzbekistan ranked in group A, meaning Uzbekistan is among the countries with a relatively advanced digital government system in operation. Only 80 out of 197 economies (41 percent) reached this group in 2025. What is striking is that the country has moved up 71 positions since 2020, increasing its score from 0.617 to 0.958 and making it the highest-ranked state in Central Asia.
The government of Uzbekistan views digitalization not only as a separate tech sector, but as part of a state-building project. Digital technologies are framed as the foundation of public administration itself. But as public administration moves online, a different question emerges: can institutions responsible for oversight keep pace with rapidly expanding digital power?
