Cashless transactions surge as bank card usage rises across Uzbekistan

According to data released by the Central Bank, as of 1 January 2026, a total of more than 68.27 million bank cards were in circulation nationwide – nearly double the level recorded three years earlier. At the start of 2023, Uzbekistan had around 34.2 million active bank cards. This figure rose to 46.2 million by early 2024, increased further to 62 million in January 2025, and exceeded 68 million by the beginning of 2026

Growth has also been recorded in the country’s payment infrastructure. By January 2026, Uzbekistan had installed 430,762 payment terminals, up from 426,225 units a year earlier. The number of operating ATMs and infokiosks rose even more significantly, reaching 40,090 units, compared with 29,909 at the beginning of 2025.

The expansion of digital payment infrastructure has been accompanied by a sharp increase in transaction volumes. In total, payments worth UZS 460.25 trillion were processed through payment terminals by 1 January 2026. This represents an increase of nearly UZS 133.5 trillion compared with the previous year, when terminal-based payments amounted to UZS 326.7 trillion.