"Aymoq" (Districts/Zones) to Replace Provinces and Districts in Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, larger territorial units—referred to as "aymoq" (districts or zones)—will be established to replace the existing 7 provinces and 40 districts. According to Elchibek Jantayev, Director of the State Agency for Civil Service and Local Self-Government, the new system will introduce territorial units that are larger than the current districts but smaller than the provinces. Initial plans indicate that the country will have more than 20 such "aymoq" units, replacing the 40 existing districts.

The formation of these new administrative units will take into account the economic potential and development opportunities of the respective regions. For instance, options under consideration include dividing the Issyk-Kul province into northern and southern sections, as well as merging certain districts within the Jalal-Abad and Osh provinces.

The first phase of the reform began in 2023, during which the boundaries of some districts were adjusted, and a number of settlements were incorporated into cities. In April 2026, President Sadyr Japarov announced plans to establish a single "aymoq" on a pilot basis before rolling out the new system nationwide. Its performance will be monitored over several years, and the level of its independent management—as well as its reliance on subsidies from the national budget—will be evaluated.

If the experiment is deemed successful, the plan is to abolish the existing provinces and districts and transition to a system of governance based on regions (*aymoqlar*).