National birth rate in Uzbekistan remains higher than many regional neighbors

For comparison, the report notes that Russia’s birth rate is notably lower at 8.6 per 1,000 people. Similar trends are observed in Moldova at 9.8, Azerbaijan at 10, and Armenia at 11.1. Within Central Asia, Uzbekistan also maintains an edge over Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which recorded rates of 18.2 and 19.4 per 1,000 residents, respectively.

A regional breakdown within Uzbekistan reveals that Surkhandarya leads with a rate of 27.5 per 1,000, followed closely by Kashkadarya at 27.1 and Samarkand at 24.5. Conversely, the lowest birth rates were recorded in the Republic of Karakalpakstan at 19.2, Tashkent city at 19.8, and the Tashkent region at 20.5.

Based on international demographic criteria, a birth rate below 16 per 1,000 is considered "low," while a range of 16–24.9 is categorized as "moderate." Rates between 25–29.9 are deemed "above average," while those exceeding 30 are classified as "high" or "very high." Under these standards, Uzbekistan’s national birth rate falls into the "moderate" category. At the regional level, most provinces and the capital are also classified as moderate, while Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya are the only regions ranked as "above average."

In total, 879,600 children were born in Uzbekistan during 2025. While this is a substantial number, it represents a decrease of 46,800 births compared to 2024. Despite this slight decline in the birth rate, the country's total permanent population continued to grow, surpassing 38.23 million people by the end of the year.

The distribution of the population remains uneven across the republic. Samarkand remains the most populous province with 4.37 million residents. In contrast, Syrdarya region remains the least populated area, with a population of approximately 946,300 people.