Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan's population stood at 39,047,321 as of 15 January 2026, according to the final results of the country's first census since independence. The figure is 810,600, or 2.1%, higher than the previous estimate, Gazeta reported, citing the National Statistics Committee.
The results were presented at a news conference on 13 November. Before the census, statisticians had estimated the population at 38.24 million as of 1 January.
Zokhidjon Ziyaev, deputy chairman of the National Statistics Committee, said the difference reflected the long gap since the previous nationwide census, which was conducted in 1989 during the Soviet period. Since then, population figures had been calculated using administrative data on births, deaths and migration.
Uzbekistan had about 19.9 million residents in 1989. Its population has nearly doubled over the 37 years between the two latest censuses. It stood at 15.4 million in 1979, 11.8 million in 1970 and 8.1 million in 1959. The republic had 6.3 million residents in 1939, 5.3 million in 1926 and 3.9 million in 1897.
Urban population share revised upwards
The largest revision concerned the share of urban residents, which rose from 50.9% to 54.5%, an increase of 3.6 percentage points. Cities are home to 21.28 million people, compared with 17.77 million in rural areas.
The committee stressed that the change reflects a correction to earlier estimates, not a mass migration from villages to cities.
Men account for 19.77 million people, or 50.6% of the population, while women number 19.28 million, or 49.4%. There are 485,100 more men than women.
Average age and life expectancy
Ziyaev also provided revised demographic indicators that were not included in the committee's press release. The average age of the population was recalculated at 29.6 years, compared with the previous estimate of 29.5 years.
Life expectancy at birth was revised from 75.4 to 76.4 years. The total fertility rate changed little, reaching 3.21 children per woman against the previous estimate of about 3.2.
The committee said the revisions resulted from updated calculations and did not mean that life expectancy had actually increased within a few months.
Historical demographic data were also recalculated with technical support from international experts, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The committee plans to publish the revised data series and methodological explanations.
Ziyaev urged researchers to use the updated figures, warning that they may differ from previously published statistics.
More than 2 million people were temporarily away
A total of 36.96 million people were present at their usual place of residence during the census. Another 2.09 million were temporarily absent, for periods of no more than one year.
Work was the most common reason for absence, cited by 1.64 million people, or 78.6% of those away. A further 329,200 people, or 15.7%, were away for education.
Other reasons included family circumstances, cited by 33,300 people; tourism and recreation, 16,000; medical treatment, 15,900; business, 15,100; and work-related trips, 3,200. Another 35,400 people gave other reasons.
One-third of the population is below working age
The working-age population totalled 21.74 million, or 55.7% of all residents. The revised figure was 403,200, or 1.9%, higher than the previous estimate.
There were 12.52 million people below working age, accounting for 32% of the population, and 4.79 million above working age, or 12.3%. The number of children and teenagers was 2.6 times the number of older people.
For every 100 people of working age, there were 79.6 dependants below or above working age. The ratio was 77.9 in urban areas and 81.7 in rural areas.
The committee said children and young people made up a large share of the population. Men outnumbered women in most age groups below 45, while the balance shifted from the 45–49 age group onwards.
Among people above working age, women numbered 2.92 million and men 1.87 million. Women therefore accounted for about 61% of this group.
Fewer women have five or more children
Of the 27.17 million residents aged 15 and over, 19.47 million, or 71.6%, were officially married. Another 5.45 million, or 20.1%, had never married. The census recorded 1.19 million widowed people, or 4.4%, and 501,800 officially divorced people, or 1.8%.
A further 347,200 people, or 1.3%, were in unregistered marriages, while 216,800, or 0.8%, were living separately. Women accounted for 981,500 of the widowed population, compared with 208,500 men.
A total of 10.51 million women aged 15 and over had given birth, with 29.2 million children between them. The largest group consisted of mothers of three children: 3.27 million women, or 31.1% of those who had given birth. In 1989, they accounted for 15.2%.
The share of women who had given birth to five or more children fell from 35.7% in 1989 to 8.8%, a decline of 26.9 percentage points over 37 years.
The share of mothers with two children increased from 21.2% to 27.5%, while the proportion with four children rose from 11.3% to 16%. The share of women with one child remained unchanged at 16.6%.
Jakhongir Kambarov, a committee representative, also highlighted the decline in the proportion of women with large families compared with 1989.
Ethnic composition
Uzbeks accounted for 34.9 million people, or 89.4% of the population. Tajiks numbered 1.28 million, or 3.3%; Karakalpaks 841,400, or 2.2%; Kazakhs 707,300, or 1.8%; and Russians 606,500, or 1.6%.
The census also recorded 219,100 Kyrgyz people, or 0.6%, and 194,800 Turkmen, or 0.5%. People belonging to other ethnic groups numbered 300,000, or 0.8%.
Kambarov said ethnicity was recorded based on respondents' own statements, without requiring supporting documents. As a result, some census figures may differ from administrative data held by government agencies.
Education levels
Some 90.7% of residents aged 15 and over had at least a general secondary education.
A total of 3.27 million people, or 12%, had higher or postgraduate education, including 41,800 with postgraduate qualifications.
Secondary specialised and vocational education had been completed by 9.74 million people, or 35.8%, while 11.63 million, or 42.8%, had general secondary education. Another 1.87 million, or 6.9%, had basic secondary education, and 658,100, or 2.4%, had primary education. The census recorded 7,200 people without education, or 0.03%.
Men were more likely than women to have higher or postgraduate education: 13.9% against 10.2%. The proportion was 14.2% among urban residents and 9.3% among rural residents.
The gender gap was much narrower among people aged 15–24, with higher or postgraduate qualifications held by 6.7% of men and 6.3% of women. Among people aged 70 and over, the corresponding shares were 22.7% and 9.1%.
Tashkent had the highest proportion of residents with higher or postgraduate education, at 24.9%. Navoi region followed with 14.9%, while Karakalpakstan recorded 13.1%.
The lowest shares were in Andijan region, at 9.4%; Namangan region, at 9.5%; and Surkhandarya region, at 9.7%. The proportion in the capital was about 2.6 times that in Andijan region.
9.6 million people are enrolled in education
A total of 9.62 million residents aged seven and over were studying at educational institutions. Boys and men accounted for 4.95 million, or 51.5%, while girls and women numbered 4.67 million, or 48.5%.
Primary education was being received by 2.93 million people, or 30.5%; basic secondary education by 3.27 million, or 34%; and general secondary education by 1.15 million, or 12%.
Another 512,200 people, or 5.3%, were enrolled in secondary specialised and vocational education. Higher education accounted for 1.73 million students, or 18%, while 22,200 people, or 0.2%, were studying at postgraduate level.
Young people aged 18–23 made up 62.4% of university students. Women accounted for 48.9% of higher education students and 58.2% of postgraduate students.
Regional differences in the revised figures
Data presented to the president in September showed substantial differences between the revised population figures and previous estimates across regions.
The population of Jizzakh region was 2.7% below the earlier estimate. The figures were also lower in Namangan region, by 1.3%; Surkhandarya region, by 0.9%; and Kashkadarya region, by 0.7%.
Bukhara region's population was almost unchanged, while the revised figures were higher than previous estimates in the other regions.
Differences were more pronounced at district and city level. The population of Tashkent district was 1.6 times higher than previously estimated, while the figure for Andijan city was 15.8% lower.
The committee's 13 November press release did not include a full table of revisions for all districts and cities. It also did not provide updated figures on the availability of schools, kindergartens, clinics and other social infrastructure.
Further results to be published
Kambarov said not all the collected data had been published. Under the law, the results were due to be released in stages by 1 July 2027, but the committee began publishing them earlier because of strong public interest.
The list of indicators will be expanded, with data broken down from regional to district level.
Kambarov said differences from earlier statistics partly reflected the use of different sources and methods. Census information was provided by residents themselves and included people regardless of their registered address or whether they had formalised property rights.
Ziyaev said 82.3% of the population completed the census online and entered their own information. This accelerated data collection, improved data quality and reduced costs.
The remaining residents were visited by representatives of the mahalla seven, who used tablets to collect information.
The committee expects the new data to be used in planning social infrastructure, regional development and government programmes.
