Twelve district- and city-level local executive heads in Uzbekistan were held accountable for corruption in 2025, despite an overall decline in corruption-related crimes.

The figures were announced at a press conference in Tashkent by Akmal Burkhanov, head of Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency. According to the agency, 5,222 corruption crimes were recorded in 2025, down from 5,716 the previous year - a decrease of 8.6 per cent, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

The highest number of violations was detected in the healthcare system, preschool and school education, and local administrations. More than 300 corruption cases were linked to local executive authorities, with over 80 per cent involving the activities of executive heads’ assistants.

Regionally, an increase in corruption offenses was reported in the Fergana and Surkhandarya regions, while declines were recorded in Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Tashkent, and Samarkand regions. The largest number of corruption cases within administrations was registered in Tashkent city (612 cases), followed by Tashkent region (584) and Fergana region (455).

Burkhanov also highlighted efforts to digitalize the allocation of subsidies and preferential loans, eliminating human involvement by removing intermediaries such as executive heads’ assistants and mahalla representatives. He said these measures are expected to significantly reduce corruption in this area as early as 2026.

In 2025, the agency reviewed 192 public procurement contracts worth 673.3 billion soums, uncovering legal violations. Administrative penalties were imposed on 14 individuals, 12 officials faced disciplinary action, and two criminal cases were launched.

In late December, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev described corruption as a key threat to Uzbekistan’s development and announced that a new nationwide anti-corruption control system will be introduced across all state bodies starting January 1, 2026.