Nominal wages increased by 18.4% over the same period, while average monthly wages reached UZS 7.1 million, according to the Central Bank.
Jizzakh region, Namangan region and the city of Tashkent recorded the fastest growth in real wages.
The gap between nominal and real wage growth narrowed significantly as tighter monetary conditions helped slow inflation. As of July 1, the difference had fallen to 7.5 percentage points.
The Central Bank said the growth in real household incomes was increasingly being driven by slower price growth rather than faster wage increases. At the same time, relatively steady nominal wage growth may also reflect labor supply expanding faster than demand.
The increase in real incomes could support domestic consumer demand in the coming period, although stronger demand could also add to inflationary pressures.
Wages vary widely across sectors
The highest average monthly wages in the first half of the year were recorded in finance and insurance, at UZS 19.1 million, followed by information and communications at UZS 17.4 million.
The lowest average wages were reported in agriculture, at UZS 3.5 million, and social services, at UZS 4.7 million.
The fastest wage growth was recorded in transportation and storage, where wages rose by 22.8%, followed by social services at 20.2% and construction at 19.9%.
The Central Bank noted that wage growth has accelerated notably in construction, industry, and transportation and storage. This points to strong demand for workers in these sectors and growing competition among employers for skilled labor.
Meanwhile, wage growth has stabilized in some of the highest-paying sectors, while relatively low-paid sectors such as social services and agriculture have seen faster increases. The Central Bank said this suggests that income disparities in the labor market are gradually narrowing.
Regional wage gap narrows
Real wage growth also improved across Uzbekistan’s regions in 2026. The large differences and fluctuations recorded between regions in 2024–2025 narrowed this year, with all regions posting relatively strong real wage growth.
