Uzbekistan's Student Population Hits 1.5 Million

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The number of students enrolled in Uzbekistan's higher education institutions has reached 1,535,000 in the 2025/2026 academic year, official figures show — nearly double the 808,400 recorded just four years ago.

The National Committee on Statistics reported a year-on-year increase of 102,200 students, or 7.1%, compared to the 1,432,800 enrolled in the 2024/2025 academic year.

Women account for a slight majority of the current student body, numbering 782,900, against 752,100 male students.

The data reveals a consistent and steep growth trajectory across successive academic years. Enrollment stood at 1,314,500 in 2023/2024 and 1,042,100 in 2022/2023 — meaning the system has added nearly half a million students in just three years. The sharpest single-year leap on record in the series was between 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, when enrollment surged from 808,400 to over one million.

The trend reflects Uzbekistan's sustained push to expand access to higher education, a central pillar of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's reform agenda. The government has moved to increase university capacity, attract foreign branch campuses, and raise the gross enrollment ratio — which for years lagged well behind regional peers. The latest figures suggest those efforts are producing measurable results at scale.