Uzbekistan embraces Azerbaijan’s experience in census, statistical development

Uzbekistan is drawing heavily on Azerbaijan’s expertise as it prepares for its first national census in more than three decades.

Speaking at the III International Statistical Forum of the CIS in Baku, Bekhzod Hamraev, Chairman of the National Committee on Statistics of Uzbekistan, highlighted the close and productive cooperation between the two countries’ statistical agencies, according to local media.

“We have an agreement signed back in 1998, and within its framework we are working closely in several areas,” Hamraev noted. “The first area is the population census. In January next year, Uzbekistan will conduct its first census in 36 years. We have carefully studied Azerbaijan’s experience and exchanged practices on many occasions. Our colleagues from the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan provided us with invaluable assistance in organising the census, preparing questionnaires, and developing methodology. This cooperation has proved to be very fruitful.”

Hamraev also underlined that the partnership goes well beyond the census. The second area of cooperation, he explained, concerns strategies and programmes for the development of statistics.

“Azerbaijan has already implemented about five to six programmes in this field. In Uzbekistan, we prepared our first statistics development strategy in 2019, and when doing so, we actively studied and applied the experience of our Azerbaijani colleagues,” he said.

The Uzbek official further pointed to the optimisation of statistical reporting as the third major area of collaboration. This includes the use of selective surveys and the introduction of modern information technologies.

“Azerbaijan has advanced practices that it shares with us, and we greatly value this exchange of experience,” Hamraev added.

Looking ahead, Hamraev recalled that Uzbekistan is now working with the World Bank to prepare a new national strategy for the development of statistics covering the years 2026–2030.

“We are cooperating with World Bank experts from the Washington office and expect to prepare a draft document by the end of this year. At the same time, we remain open to cooperation with Azerbaijan and are ready to share our own experience in developing a new strategy,” he stressed.

By Tamilla Hasanova