According to the Central Bank of Uzbekistan's pilot index of financial accessibility, the main discrepancy in financial integration in Uzbekistan manifests at the initial stage of interaction with the banking system. Furthermore, only 21% of the adult rural population holds a bank account, which is significantly lower than the national average of 86%.
The overall financial accessibility indicator for rural and remote areas was 49 out of 100 points. In addition to a 65 percentage point gap in basic account ownership, rural residents use savings products less frequently. Only 1% of rural residents have a savings or term deposit, compared to the national average of 4%.
Nevertheless, the Central Bank noted that the level of activity among those who already have accounts in rural areas is comparable to national data. Inactive bank accounts account for 32% of the total number of accounts among the rural population, which is slightly lower than the national average of 34%. This indicates that after gaining access to financial services, rural residents use them at a level comparable to urban residents.
A similar trend was observed in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, where credit accessibility for rural enterprises met or exceeded national average indicators across several criteria. The regulator concluded that the main problem in rural areas lies in initial access to financial services, not in their utilization.
To eliminate this inequality, the Central Bank has identified priority areas, which include expanding basic account ownership and daily financial channels for rural residents, as well as improving the quality of services and digital access for rural enterprises.