Uzbekistan Business Entities Rise to 580,900 in 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — As of 1 May 2026, the number of active enterprises and organizations in Uzbekistan reached 580,900, according to a press release issued on 15 May 2026 by the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics.

The figure represents a 7.4% increase compared with the same date last year, when there were 540,600 active business entities in the country, marking a return to growth after a two-year period of contraction observed in 2023–2024.

Small business continues to form the backbone of the national business registry. Of the total number of active entities, 420,900, or 72.5%, are small enterprises and microfirms.

The total number of business entities, including farms and dehkan households, stands at 425,800.

However, the number of farms and dehkan households declined to 89,949, compared with 93,749 a year earlier, continuing a long-term downward trend. In 2022, there were 118,783 such entities.

Business activity remains geographically concentrated. The capital city, Tashkent, accounts for 19.1% of all active enterprises, totaling 110,815 entities.

Tashkent Region follows with 54,874 enterprises (9.4%), Samarkand Region with 53,724 (9.2%), Fergana Region with 49,410 (8.5%), and Kashkadarya Region with 44,492 (7.7%). Syrdarya Region has the lowest number, with 16,509 entities.

In sectoral terms, trade dominates with 158,483 enterprises, or 27.3% of the total. Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries rank second with 127,775 entities (22.0%), while industry ranks third with 61,436 enterprises (10.6%). Together, these three sectors account for more than 59.9% of all active organizations.

Construction represents 5.4% of entities (31,489), accommodation and food services 5.6% (32,266), and information and communication 2.2% (12,750).

In terms of legal structure, limited liability companies remain dominant, accounting for 338,937 entities, or 79.6% of the 425,800 commercial entities. Private enterprises account for 10.9% (46,337), while family businesses make up 8.6% (36,434).

Joint-stock companies remain limited in number at just 645 entities, or 0.2%.

The segment of foreign-invested enterprises shows the strongest growth dynamics. As of May 1, 2026, there are 19,490 such entities in Uzbekistan, an increase of 3,483 or 21.8% compared with the same period in 2025.

Of these, 15,063 are fully foreign-owned enterprises and 4,427 are joint ventures.

Over the past five years, the total number of foreign-invested enterprises has increased 1.4 times, while the share of fully foreign-owned companies in this segment has risen from 61.3% to 77.3%, indicating a growing preference for independent operations in the Uzbek market.

Growth in foreign-invested enterprises is concentrated in three main sectors: trade (+1,176 to 6,967), industry (+519 to 3,860), and construction (+415 to 1,598).

The largest concentration of foreign capital is in trade (6,967 entities), industry (3,860), and other sectors (3,332).

Regionally, Tashkent city dominates with 12,250 foreign-invested enterprises, or 62.9% of the total. Tashkent Region has 2,657 (13.6%), Samarkand Region 719 (3.7%), and Fergana Region 632 (3.2%).

By country of origin, China leads with 5,615 enterprises (28.8%), of which 4,827 are fully Chinese-owned. Russia follows with 3,308 (17.0%), and Türkiye with 2,216 (11.4%). Kazakhstan accounts for 1,259 (6.5%), and South Korea 721 (3.7%).

Afghanistan ranks sixth with 656 enterprises (3.4%), followed by Azerbaijan, the UAE, Tajikistan, and India. Among Western countries, the United States has 356 enterprises, the United Kingdom 256, and Germany 240.

The data is based on the registry of the Ministry of Justice Public Services Center and includes farms and dehkan households.