“Uzbekistan 2030” Strategy: Gas Production to Stabilize from 2027 After Decline in 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — According to the updated “Uzbekistan 2030” Strategy approved by the President on February 16, 2026, the country is expected to see steady growth in natural gas production starting in 2027.

The document reports that in 2025, Uzbekistan produced 41.7 billion cubic meters of gas, with the majority—25.2 billion cubic meters—coming from Uzbekneftegaz. Previously, the National Statistics Committee had published a figure of 42.3 billion cubic meters, though the reason for the discrepancy was not clarified.

In 2026, production is forecast to decline by 1.5 billion cubic meters, or 3.6%, to 40.2 billion cubic meters. From 2027 onwards, production is expected to enter a period of stable multi-year growth: 42.9 billion cubic meters in 2027 (+6.7% year-on-year), 44.5 billion in 2028 (+3.7%), 45.5 billion in 2029 (+2.2%), and 48.5 billion cubic meters by 2030 (+6.5%).

For comparison, the previous strategy, approved in September 2023, had projected production of 62 billion cubic meters by 2030. Thus, the target has been revised downward by 21.7%, or 13.5 billion cubic meters.

The approved version of the strategy also differs significantly from the draft released for public discussion in December 2025 under the President’s directive. At that time, it was anticipated that gas production would continue to decline over the three-year period from 2026 to 2028.

According to both the draft and the approved strategy, the projected trajectory is as follows: in 2026, production is forecast at 40.2 billion cubic meters compared with 37.9 billion in the draft (+6%); in 2027, 42.9 billion versus 35.6 billion (+20.5%); in 2028, 44.5 billion versus 33.4 billion (+33.2%); in 2029, 45.5 billion versus 41.2 billion (+10.4%); and by 2030, 48.5 billion compared with 38.7 billion (+25.3%).