Population density of Uzbekistan regions.png — Photo: Austiger, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped, sureno.ai mark added)

Why Uzbekistan’s Population Is Growing and What It Means

The population rose by 692,200 in a year, but the available figures do not explain the causes or show how well services are keeping pace.

WorldOctober 25, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Uzbekistan had 39,535,225 permanent residents on October 1, 2026, an increase of 692,200, or 1.8%, from the same date a year earlier ².
The latest reports give population totals and regional figures, but do not show how much growth came from births, deaths, or migration ¹²³.
Samarkand Region had the largest regional population, and the capital city of Tashkent had 3.28 million residents ¹³.
Population growth can add pressure to public services, but the supplied sources do not show whether service capacity is keeping up.

Why is Uzbekistan’s population growing?

The latest figures establish that Uzbekistan’s population increased over the past year. The country had 39,535,225 permanent residents on October 1, 2026. That was 692,200 more people than on the same date in 2025, a rise of 1.8% ².

The reports describe the size of the increase, not its causes. They do not separate the contributions of births, deaths, and migration. The available information therefore cannot show which factor contributed most ¹²³.

Where do the population figures come from?

The figures are attributed to Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee. YuzNews says its October 2026 total takes account of census results ². The other reports mention preliminary census results, but the supplied material does not give detailed findings that explain what is driving population change ¹³.

A census is an organized count or assessment of a population. These figures refer to the permanent population; they do not tell us how many people are physically present in a place at any particular moment.

Which parts of Uzbekistan have the most residents?

Among the regions, Samarkand had the largest population, at 4.46 million. Fergana had 4.29 million, and Tashkent Region had 3.8 million. The capital city of Tashkent had 3.28 million residents ¹³.

These totals show population size, not the rate of growth in each area. They also do not show how residents are spread across towns and neighborhoods or what services those communities can access.

What could population growth mean for public services?

A larger population may increase demand for schools, clinics, housing, transport, water, and local services. This is a general possibility, not a result measured in the reports cited here.

The sources do not provide data on school capacity, health-care access, housing, transport use, or public spending. The population figures alone cannot establish whether services are keeping pace, improving, or falling behind.

What do the latest birth figures tell us?

Qazinform says the annual number of births dropped below 900,000 for the first time since 2020, but the supplied report gives neither an exact total nor an explanation for the decline ³. This brief statement is not enough to show how births affected the year-on-year population increase.

To understand the causes of growth or make a reliable projection, more detailed information on births, deaths, migration, and changes in each region would be needed.

What we don't know yet

How much of the population increase came from births, deaths, or migration.
The exact annual birth total and why it fell below 900,000, as reported by Qazinform ³.
Whether schools, health care, housing, transport, and other services are keeping pace with population growth.
How population change differs among regions and local communities.

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Questions people ask

How many people live in Uzbekistan in 2026?

Uzbekistan’s permanent population was 39,535,225 on October 1, 2026, according to the National Statistics Committee as reported by YuzNews ². Other reports round the figure to 39.54 million ¹³.

How much did Uzbekistan’s population grow in a year?

The reported increase was 692,200 people, or 1.8%, compared with the previous year ². The comparison is between figures for October 1 in each year.

Which region of Uzbekistan has the most residents?

Samarkand Region had the largest regional population, with 4.46 million residents. Fergana Region had 4.29 million, followed by Tashkent Region with 3.8 million ¹³.

What is the population of Tashkent?

The capital city had 3.28 million residents in the latest figures, dated October 1, 2026 ¹³. That is distinct from the 3.8 million reported for Tashkent Region.

Do the latest figures explain why Uzbekistan’s population is increasing?

No. The reports show the population total and the change over a year, but do not break the change down by births, deaths, or migration ¹²³.

Sources

Uzbekistan’s population reaches 39.54 million in October 2026 | TV BRICS, 24.10.26 — TV BRICS
The permanent population of Uzbekistan has exceeded 39.5 million people — YuzNews, 2026-10-19
Uzbekistan’s population increases by nearly 700,000 in one year — Qazinform.com, 2026-10-19

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