PUBLIC PROCUREMENT GROWTH AND REPORTED SAVINGS FROM COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES IN UZBEKISTAN, 2021–2025: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

Public procurement constitutes an important mechanism through which governments allocate financial resources, deliver public services, support businesses, and influence market competition. In Uzbekistan, the rapid expansion of electronic public procurement and the increasing participation of private-sector suppliers have significantly transformed the procurement environment in recent years. This study examines the role of competition in improving the economic efficiency of public procurement in Uzbekistan using statistical data for 2021–2025. The analysis draws on official data published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, official public procurement information sources, and other institutional documents. Descriptive statistical methods, growth-rate analysis, structural analysis, and a procurement savings ratio are employed to evaluate changes in procurement volumes and reported savings generated through competitive procurement procedures. The findings indicate that total public procurement increased from UZS 147.4 trillion in 2021 to UZS 307.8 trillion in 2025, representing more than a twofold increase and an estimated compound annual growth rate of approximately 20.2%1. Competitive procurement procedures generated reported savings of UZS 14.3 trillion in 2022, UZS 13.9 trillion in 2024, and UZS 15.6 trillion in 2025. Meanwhile, the ratio of reported savings to total procurement decreased from approximately 6.99% in 2022 to 5.07% in 2025. The results demonstrate that competition remains an important mechanism for generating fiscal savings, while the increasing scale and complexity of procurement highlight opportunities to further strengthen market-price benchmarking, expand supplier participation, enhance datadriven monitoring, and improve procurement design. The study concludes that expanding competition should be complemented by greater transparency, digitalization, effective market analysis, and institutional oversight to achieve sustainable improvements in public procurement efficiency.