The National Statistics Committee reported 638,600 live births and 123,400 deaths between January and September, resulting in natural population growth of 515,200 people. The figures also show that international emigration continued to exceed immigration, while Tashkent remained a major destination for people moving within the country.

The population estimates have been recalculated using preliminary results from Uzbekistan’s population and agricultural census conducted earlier this year. Previous figures were also revised to make year-on-year comparisons more consistent. The committee said the estimates could be adjusted further once the census results are finalized.

Population growth continues, but births decline

Uzbekistan’s population increased by approximately 692,100 people over the year, from 38.84 million on October 1, 2025, to 39.54 million on the same date in 2026.

More than half of the population – 21.52 million people, or 54.4% – lived in urban areas, while 18.01 million, or 45.6%, lived in rural areas. Men accounted for 50.6% of the population, at 20.01 million, compared with 19.52 million women.

Population density reached 88.1 people per square kilometer, up from 86.5 a year earlier.

Samarkand region remained the country’s most populous region, with 4.46 million residents, followed by Fergana region with 4.29 million. Tashkent region had 3.80 million residents, while Kashkadarya region had 3.75 million.

Surkhandarya region recorded the fastest annual population growth among the regions, at 2.2%. Jizzakh region and Tashkent city each posted growth of 2.1%.

Despite continued population growth, the number of births fell. Uzbekistan registered 638,600 live births in January–September, down 26,000 from 664,600 in the same period of 2025. This was the lowest nine-month total in the five-year series published by the committee, which recorded 681,800 births in 2022 and a peak of 716,900 in 2023.

The birth rate stood at 21.7 per 1,000 people.

Deaths also declined, falling by 8,800 year on year to 123,400. The mortality rate was 4.2 per 1,000 people. Boys accounted for 329,800 births, or 51.6% of the total, while girls accounted for 308,800. Slightly more births occurred in rural areas than in cities.