Tajikistan leads in medical travel to Uzbekistan, Afghanistan posts strongest growth

Between January and November 2025, 80,653 foreign citizens traveled to Uzbekistan for medical treatment, the National Statistics Committee reported. Compared with the same period in 2024 (98,800 people), this represents an 18.6% decrease. By contrast, the total number of medical tourists in 2024 had grown by more than 77%.

The majority of medical tourists came from Tajikistan, with 55,800 visitors – over two-thirds of the total. However, this marked a 26% decline, or 19,600 fewer people, compared with 2024.

Kyrgyzstan ranked second, sending 14,296 medical tourists, an increase of more than 1.5 times from the previous year. Kazakhstan followed with 7,633 visitors, down 33% from 2024.

Russia contributed 1,820 medical tourists, up 4.2%, while Afghanistan saw the largest relative growth, sending 678 visitors – more than 15 times the previous year. Turkmenistan accounted for 219 trips, nearly four times fewer than in 2024, while the number of visitors from Turkey rose 20% to 47.

Overall, Uzbekistan received 10.7 million foreign tourists during the 11-month period, a 47.4% increase year-on-year. Most visits were from neighboring countries, with a marked rise in travelers from Afghanistan and China.