Kyrgyzstan to abandon its Soviet-era division into oblasts and raions
Kyrgyzstan plans to completely change the country's administrative-territorial division: abolishing oblasts and raions, replacing them with more than 20 enlarged aimaks. This was stated by Elchibek Zhantaev, director of the agency for state service and local self-government affairs, on the air of the state information agency "Kabar," as reported by Azattyq.
The new administrative units will be larger than the current raions but smaller than the oblasts. In their creation, the authorities intend to consider the economic potential of different territories, combine them, and eliminate redundant governing bodies.
Elchibek Zhantaev explained that when forming new aimaks, the specific features of each region will be taken into account. For example, Issyk-Kul Oblast could be divided into northern and southern parts. In Jalal-Abad and Osh Oblasts, there are small raions, as well as territories with greater development potential that could be merged into new administrative units.
In April 2026, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced the second stage of the administrative-territorial reform. According to him, the authorities first want to create one pilot district center and test the effectiveness of the new governance system over two to three years.
If the experiment is successful, the reform will be extended to the entire country, and the current oblast and raion administrations will be abolished.
The authorities expect that the transformations will make regional governance more efficient and reduce their dependence on funds from the republican budget.
However, the initiative has elicited a mixed reaction from experts. Proponents of the reform believe that reducing the administrative apparatus will help cut government spending and simplify governance. Critics, on the other hand, fear that the transformations will lead to increased centralization of power and weakening of local self-government.
The first stage of the administrative-territorial reform in Kyrgyzstan began in 2023. At that time, rural administrative units were enlarged, the borders of several territories were changed, and some settlements were incorporated into cities.
Specific dates for the abolition of oblasts and raions have not yet been determined.
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