Uzbekistan’s external debt has increased by $2.5 billion in 2021 and amounted to 23.6 billion as of January 1, 2022.

The external debt attracted on behalf of the Uzbek government and under the state guarantee amounted to $17 billion or 72.2 percent of the public external debt, the country’s finance ministry said.

The country’s total public debt, including internal debt ($2.7 billion) amounted to $26.3 billion and averaged 38 percent of the gross domestic product as of January 1.

Under the law on the state budget for 2022, Uzbekistan can attract up to $4.5 billion in loans under the government guarantees this year.