Context
Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991 and shares its borders with Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. It operates as a Presidential Republic with a total area of 491.2 square kilometres, making it the second-largest country in the region after Kazakhstan. According to the ongoing population and housing stock census, as of December 2022, Turkmenistan’s population was about six million people.
It is a secular state and was recognized as a permanently neutral state by the United Nations (UN) in 1995. Turkmenistan has diplomatic relations with 151 countries, guarantees religious freedom, and has a separate public education system.
Economically, Turkmenistan is an upper-middle-income country, heavily reliant on gas exports. It has rich natural gas and oil fields, being the world’s tenth-largest cotton producer. The economy is heavily dependent on gas exports and has been impacted by events such as the Russia-Ukraine war, leaving more people at risk of poverty.
Access to education is compulsory up to nine years with the government providing free primary and secondary education. Though progress has been made, challenges in education quality and availability remain in remote areas hindering human development and socio-economic progress.