THE IMPACT OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ON UZBEKISTAN'S GDP: AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS

In the last decade, digital technologies have become one of the main drivers of economic growth, employment, and innovation in the global economy. The digital economy refers to economic activities based on digital technologies, including the Internet, mobile communications, cloud services, electronic payment systems, and artificial intelligence. In other words, it integrates traditional production and service sectors with digital solutions to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and create new value chains. Today, the share of the digital economy in global GDP is steadily increasing. According to international organizations, as of 2023, the global digital economy accounted for 15–17 percent of world GDP, with an average annual growth rate of 6–7 percent (ITU, 2023; UNCTAD, 2023). Digital transformation processes are helping developing countries enhance economic efficiency, reduce corruption, and eliminate bureaucratic barriers. Uzbekistan has also achieved significant progress in the development of the digital economy in recent years. The “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy, adopted in 2020, aims to bring the country to a new stage of digital transformation by introducing digital technologies in all sectors, including public administration, education, healthcare, finance, and transportation. Within this framework, the e-government system is being developed, Internet coverage is expanding, and the activities of IT startups and technology parks are being actively promoted.