Uzbekistan’s permanent population stood at 38,236,704 as of January 1, 2026, marking a nearly 85% increase since independence, according to data released by the National Statistics Committee.
In 1991, when Uzbekistan gained independence, the population was approximately 20.6 million. Over the past 35 years, the country has added 17.6 million people, a steady demographic expansion. However, the latest figures suggest emerging shifts in birth rate trends.
In 2025, the number of registered births totaled 879,500, a 5.1% decrease compared to 2024, or 46,800 fewer births year-on-year. This marks the second consecutive annual decline in the national birth rate.
Economist Mirkomil Kholboyev, writing on his “Mirkonomika” channel, cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. “Births have declined for the second year in a row,” he wrote. “Since the overall fertility indicators have not yet been updated, it is difficult to determine whether the 2025 decline is mainly due to a smaller cohort of people of childbearing age, or to changes in reproductive decisions.”
The decline has also become more geographically widespread. In 2025, 179 districts and cities recorded a drop in births, the highest number in 15 years, compared to 155 districts in 2024.
These areas accounted for a combined reduction of 48,400 births, representing approximately 90% of all registered births nationwide. By contrast, only 25 districts recorded an increase in births in 2025, with a total gain of 1,722. For comparison, in 2024, birth increases in growing districts totaled 9,000 and represented 24% of all births, while in 2025 that share fell sharply to 8.6%.
