Uzbekistan’s natural gas production falls by 15% in first quarter

The downturn was particularly sharp in March, where production plummeted to 2.7 billion cubic meters. This represents a 30.8% decrease compared to March of the previous year. To compensate for the shortfall, gas imports surged to approximately $360.5 million, marking a 2.2-fold increase. Meanwhile, gas exports dropped by 61%, totaling only $36.7 million.

Under the "Uzbekistan – 2030" strategy, the government expects total gas production to reach 40.2 billion cubic meters by the end of 2026. While the current trend shows a decline, official forecasts project a recovery in the coming years, with production targets set at 42.9 billion cubic meters in 2027 and reaching 48.5 billion cubic meters by 2030.

The report also highlights shifts in other energy commodities. Oil extraction fell slightly by 1.8%, from 160.8 thousand tons to 157.3 thousand tons, while gas condensate production saw a more severe drop of 18.3%. Conversely, the processing sector showed growth, with diesel fuel production jumping by 54.3% and gasoline production increasing by 2.9%.

In the power sector, total electricity generation grew from 21.9 billion kWh in the first quarter of 2025 to 22.9 billion kWh this year. A significant structural change is occurring in this industry: while large-scale state enterprises saw their output decrease by 7.5%, small business entities and independent producers increased their electricity generation by an impressive 49%.

The manufacturing sector, specifically automotive production, remains a bright spot. Uzbekistan produced 108,769 passenger cars in the first three months of the year, an 11.8% increase over the previous year.