Remittances to Uzbekistan rise to US$3.8 billion in Q1 as geographic trends shift

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The volume of remittances sent to Uzbekistan in the first quarter of 2026 reached US$3.8 billion, representing a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. This data was highlighted in the latest labor market review published by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

Concurrently, the geographic diversification of remittance inflows continued to evolve. Russia's share in total receipts fell from 77.6% in the first quarter of 2025 down to 72.4%, which corresponds to US$2.75 billion.

The Central Bank attributes this downward trend to the rising costs of work patents for foreign laborers implemented in Russia at the beginning of the year, the relative depreciation of the Russian ruble in March, and the widening geographic footprint of Uzbek citizens migrating abroad for employment.

Against this backdrop, the share of remittances originating from alternative countries experienced growth. Notably, Kazakhstan’s share increased from 3.1% to 4.1%, with transfer volumes totaling US$155.8 million.

South Korea matched this share exactly, routing US155.8millionintothecountry.Meanwhile,theshareofremittancesfromEuropeannationsgrewfrom2.3125.4 million), and the combined share of all other states climbed from 13.6% to 16.2%, bringing in US$615.6 million.

According to the regulator, the number of Uzbek citizens working in Russia under official patents stood at 1.34 million people during the first quarter. This marks an 8.8% decline compared to the preceding quarter and is 1.8% lower than the figure recorded a year prior. The Central Bank links this contraction to both routine seasonal factors and structural changes in the international labor market.

At the same time, labor migration to other destinations is maintaining an upward trajectory. The number of official work permits issued to citizens of Uzbekistan in Türkiye reached nearly 70,000, representing a 14% increase compared to the first quarter of last year. The headcount of Uzbek nationals employed in South Korea also continues to grow, hitting 99,600 people.

Overall, outbound population mobility maintains a strong upward momentum. During the first three months of 2026, 1.63 million citizens of Uzbekistan traveled abroad, an 11.6% increase year-on-year. Reflecting this trend, the total volume of passenger air traffic surged by 32% to reach 2.25 million people.