As of July 1, more than 2.57 million Uzbeks have activated the Credit Freeze service, which allows individuals to place a voluntary ban on taking out new loans, the Credit Information Analytic Center (CIAC) said in a statement.
Over the past year, the number of people utilizing this self-imposed restriction has skyrocketed more than 77-fold. On July 1, 2025, only 33,100 people had enabled the service. That number grew to 149,500 by October 1, and hit 438,300 by January 1, 2026. By April 1, registrations surged to 2.208 million, finally reaching 2.574 million by July 1.
Men make up the majority of those who have locked their credit profiles, totaling nearly 1.5 million users (58%), while women account for 1.08 million users (42%).
Demographically, the largest user base falls within the 26–35 age bracket, representing 30% of the total (764,943 people). This is closely followed by young adults under 26 at 25% (647,651 people), individuals aged 36–45 at 24% (609,665 people), those aged 46–55 at 12% (319,354 people), and seniors over 56 making up the remaining 9% (232,413 people).
The voluntary credit freeze service officially launched on June 6, 2025. It allows individuals to dynamically add or remove their names from a registry of entities restricted from entering into loan agreements. Enacted under a law signed by the President on March 4, the measure is specifically designed to protect citizens from identity theft and fraudulent loans taken out in their names without their consent.
In 2023, fraudulent loans totaling 19 billion soums were covertly opened under the names of 2,790 citizens. During the first eight months of last year alone, another 874 individuals fell victim to identity thieves, who racked up 36.6 billion soums in unauthorized financing.
Citizens can activate this protective lock through the CIAC mobile app, their personal account on the credit bureau's website, the MyGov portal (OneID) and its mobile app, as well as at Governmental Services Centers or by visiting the credit bureau in person. The restriction can be lifted at any time through the same digital platforms or physical centers. The service is entirely free of charge.
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