Uzbekistan

Broadcast media

government controls media; 18 state-owned broadcasters - 14 TV and 4 radio - provide service to virtually the entire country; about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast to local markets; privately owned TV stations are required to lease transmitters from the government-owned Republic TV and Radio Industry Corporation; in 2013, the government closed TV and radio broadcasters affiliated with the National Association of Electronic Mass Media (NAEMM) of Uzbekistan, a government-sponsored NGO for private broadcast media; in 2015, the NAEMM relaunched its TV channel under a different name (2017)

Internet country code

.uz

Internet users

total: 13,791,083 | percent of population: 46.8% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Telephone system

general assessment: digital exchanges in large cities and in rural areas | domestic: the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbektelecom, owner of the fixed-line telecommunications system, has used loans from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to upgrade fixed-line services including conversion to digital exchanges; mobile-cellular services are provided by three private and two state-owned operators with a total subscriber base of 23 million as of mid-2016 | international: country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; the country also has a link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; Uzbekistan has supported the national fiber- optic backbone project of Afghanistan since 2008 (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,412,921 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 23,265,389 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Agriculture - products

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Budget

revenues: $21.37 billion | expenditures: $21.31 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Central bank discount rate

9% (2016) | 9% (2015) | country comparison to the world: 30

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16% (31 December 2016 est.) | 11.2% (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Current account balance

$498 million (2016 est.) | $-159.7 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Debt - external

$16.76 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $14.84 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.8 (2003) | 44.7 (1998) | country comparison to the world: 82

Economy - overview

Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in which 51% of the population lives in urban settlements; the agriculture-rich Fergana Valley, in which Uzbekistan’s eastern borders are situated, has been counted among the most densely populated parts of Central Asia. Since its independence in September 1991, the government has largely maintained its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production, prices, and access to foreign currency. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbek agriculture remains largely centered on cotton; Uzbekistan is the world's fifth-largest cotton exporter and seventh-largest producer. Uzbekistan's growth has been driven primarily by state-led investments, and export of natural gas, gold, and cotton provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings. In early 2016, Russia’s Gazprom announced it planned to increase purchases of Uzbek gas. | Aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government is taking incremental steps to reform the business sector and address impediments to foreign investment in the country. Since the death of first President Islam KARIMOV, rhetorical emphasis on such initiatives and ostensible government efforts to seek input from the private sector have increased. In the past, Uzbek authorities have accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbek laws and have frozen and seized their assets. At the same time, the Uzbek Government has actively courted several major US and international corporations, offering financing and tax advantages. | In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further stifled economic activity, and the government has lately raised the issue of currency reform in a number of official decrees and proclamations. Recently, lower global commodity prices and economic slowdown in neighboring Russia and China have been hurting Uzbekistan's trade and investment and worsening its problem of foreign currency shortage.

Exchange rates

Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - | 2,966.6 (2016 est.) | 2,966.6 (2015 est.) | 2,569.6 (2014 est.) | 2,311.4 (2013 est.) | 1,890.1 (2012 est.)

Exports

$11.2 billion (2016 est.) | $11.5 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Exports - commodities

energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, foodstuffs, machinery, automobiles

Exports - partners

Switzerland 35.1%, China 19.7%, Russia 9.3%, Turkey 8.7%, Kazakhstan 7.2%, Bangladesh 5.4%, Afghanistan 4.9% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$66.85 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$205.6 billion (2016 est.) | $188.4 billion (2015 est.) | $172.5 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 64

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 60.1% | government consumption: 16.5% | investment in fixed capital: 24.8% | investment in inventories: 3% | exports of goods and services: 19.9% | imports of goods and services: -21.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 18.5% | industry: 34.6% | services: 46.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,600 (2016 est.) | $6,200 (2015 est.) | $5,800 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 159

GDP - real growth rate

7.8% (2016 est.) | 8% (2015 est.) | 8.1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Gross national saving

31.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 31.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 32.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.8% | highest 10%: 29.6% (2003)

Imports

$10.91 billion (2016 est.) | $12 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and nonferrous metals

Imports - partners

China 22.2%, Russia 18%, South Korea 10.5%, Kazakhstan 10%, Turkey 5.8%, Germany 5.2% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Industries

textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, mining, hydrocarbon extraction, chemicals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (2016 est.) | 10% (2015 est.) | note: official data; based on independent analysis of consumer prices, inflation reached 22% in 2012 | country comparison to the world: 208

Labor force

17.85 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 25.9% | industry: 13.2% | services: 60.9% (2012 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA (31 December 2012) | $715.3 million (31 December 2006)

Population below poverty line

14% (2016 est.)

Public debt

15.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 13.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$14 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $15 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Stock of broad money

$17.47 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $16.26 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$11.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $11.78 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Stock of narrow money

$7.555 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $7.403 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Taxes and other revenues

32.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Unemployment rate

4.9% (2016 est.) | 4.9% (2015 est.) | note: official data; another 20% are underemployed | country comparison to the world: 65

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

109 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Crude oil - exports

27,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Crude oil - imports

380 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Crude oil - production

52,910 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Crude oil - proved reserves

594 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 47

Electricity - consumption

48 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Electricity - exports

13 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - from fossil fuels

86.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

13.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - imports

13 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21

Electricity - installed generating capacity

12.93 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Electricity - production

59 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

7.55 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Natural gas - exports

14.7 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Natural gas - production

55.7 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 20

Refined petroleum products - consumption

61,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,102 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Refined petroleum products - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Refined petroleum products - production

63,650 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Area

total: 447,400 sq km | land: 425,400 sq km | water: 22,000 sq km | country comparison to the world: 58

Area - comparative

about four times the size of Virginia; slightly larger than California

Climate

mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Coastline

0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Sariqamish Kuli -12 m | highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Environment - current issues

shrinkage of the Aral Sea has resulted in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification and respiratory health problems; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 64 00 E

Geography - note

along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

Irrigated land

42,150 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 6,893 km | border countries (5): Afghanistan 144 km, Kazakhstan 2,330 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,314 km, Tajikistan 1,312 km, Turkmenistan 1,793 km

Land use

agricultural land: 62.6% | arable land 10.1%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 51.7% | forest: 7.7% | other: 29.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (doubly landlocked)

Natural hazards

earthquakes; floods; landslides or mudslides; avalanches; droughts

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Population - distribution

most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country; the south has significant clusters of people, while the central and western deserts are sparsely populated

Terrain

mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonom respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan Republic]* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri [Tashkent City]**, Toshkent Viloyati [Tashkent province], Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch) | note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Capital

name: Tashkent (Toshkent) | geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 69 15 E | time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Uzbekistan | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 8 December 1992 | amendments: proposed by the Supreme Assembly or by referendum; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of both houses of the Assembly or passage in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2014 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan | conventional short form: Uzbekistan | local long form: O'zbekiston Respublikasi | local short form: O'zbekiston | former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic | etymology: a combination of the Turkic words "uz" (self) and "bek" (master) with the Persian suffix "-stan" (country) to give the meaning "Land of the Free"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela L. SPRATLEN (since 27 January 2015) | embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093 | mailing address: use embassy street address | telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450 | FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Javlon VAHOBOV (since 1 December 2017) | chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300 | FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (interim president from 8 September 2016; formally elected president on 4 December 2016 to succeed longtime President Islom KARIMOV, who died on 2 September 2016) | head of government: Prime Minister Abdulla ARIPOV (since 14 December 2016); First Deputy Prime Minister Achilbay RAMATOV (since 15 December 2016) | cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with most requiring approval of the Senate chamber of the Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis) | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term; previously a 5-year term, extended by a 2002 constitutional amendment to 7 years, and reverted to 5 years in 2011); election last held on 4 December 2016 (next to be held in 2021); prime minister nominated by majority party in legislature since 2011, but appointed along with the ministers and deputy ministers by the president | election results: Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV elected president; percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 88.6%, Khatamjon KETMONOV (NDP) 3.7%, Narimon UMAROV (Adolat) 3.5%, Sarvar OTAMURADOV (Milliy Tiklanish/National Revival) 2.4%, other 1.8%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon (closed side to the hoist) and 12 white stars shifted to the hoist on the top band; blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while green represents nature and is the color of Islam; the red stripes are the vital force of all living organisms that links good and pure ideas with the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam and the 12 stars the months and constellations of the Uzbek calendar

Government type

presidential republic; highly authoritarian

Independence

1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 67 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and military sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges) | judge selection and term of office: judges of the highest courts nominated by the president and confirmed by the Oliy Majlis; judges appointed for initial 5-year term, subsequent 10-year term, and lifetime term subject to reappointment | subordinate courts: regional, district, city, and town courts; economic courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of the Senate (100 seats; 84 members indirectly elected by regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the Legislative Chamber or Qonunchilik Palatasi (150 seats; 135 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round, if needed, and 15 indirectly elected by the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan; members serve 5-year terms) | note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV | elections: last held on 21 December 2014 and 4 January 2015 (next to be held in December 2019) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 52, National Revival Democratic Party 36, NDP 27, Adolat 20, Ecological Movement 15

National anthem

name: "O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan) | lyrics/music: Abdulla ARIPOV/Mutal BURHANOV | note: adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet Republic but adopted new lyrics

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

National symbol(s)

khumo (mythical bird); national colors: blue, white, red, green

Political parties and leaders

Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Ekologik Harakati) [Boriy ALIKHANOV] | Justice (Adolat) Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan [Narimon UMAROV] | Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Liberal-Demokratik Partiyasi) or LDPU [Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV] | National Revival Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Milliy Tiklanish Demokratik Partiyasi) [Sarvar OTAMURATOV] | People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Xalq Demokratik Partiyas) or NDP [Hotamjon KETMONOV] (formerly Communist Party)

Political pressure groups and leaders

no significant opposition political parties or pressure groups in Uzbekistan

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991 upon the dissolution of the USSR, the country has reduced its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. Uzbekistan’s first president, Islom KARIMOV, led Uzbekistan for 25 years until his death in September 2016. The political transition to his successor, then-Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV was peaceful, but sidelined the constitutional process where the chairman of the Senate would have served as the acting president. MIRZIYOYEV, who won the presidential election in December 2016, has improved relations with Uzbekistan’s neighbors and introduced wide-ranging economic and judicial reforms.

Military branches

Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard (2017)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-month or 1-year conscript service obligation for males; moving toward a professional military, but conscription in some form will continue; the military cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the military is similar to the competition for admission to universities; note - widely considered to have one of the strongest militaries in Central Asia, although it is untested (2016)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.88% (male 3,640,914/female 3,464,304) | 15-24 years: 18.52% (male 2,804,516/female 2,706,399) | 25-54 years: 44.49% (male 6,583,745/female 6,651,261) | 55-64 years: 7.85% (male 1,105,034/female 1,231,714) | 65 years and over: 5.25% (male 667,109/female 893,863) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

16.8 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 47.7 | youth dependency ratio: 41.4 | elderly dependency ratio: 6.2 | potential support ratio: 16 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 98.5% of population | rural: 80.9% of population | total: 87.3% of population | urban: 1.5% of population | rural: 19.1% of population | total: 12.7% of population (2012 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 111

Hospital bed density

4.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 18 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 21.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Languages

Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1% | note: in the Karakalpakstan Republic, both the Karakalpak language and Uzbek have official status

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74 years | male: 71 years | female: 77.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 100% | male: 100% | female: 100% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

TASHKENT (capital) 2.251 million (2015)

Maternal mortality ratio

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Median age

total: 28.6 years | male: 28 years | female: 29.2 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.4 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Uzbekistani | adjective: Uzbekistani

Net migration rate

-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

16.6% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 123

Physicians density

2.45 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

29,748,859 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country; the south has significant clusters of people, while the central and western deserts are sparsely populated

Population growth rate

0.93% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Religions

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years | male: 13 years | female: 12 years (2016)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.76 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Urbanization

urban population: 36.6% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.62% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan created water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004; border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Illicit drugs

transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 86,524 (2016)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Uzbekistan is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; government-compelled forced labor of adults remained endemic during the 2014 cotton harvest; despite a decree banning the use of persons under 18, children were mobilized to harvest cotton by local officials in some districts; in some regions, local officials forced teachers, students, private business employees, and others to work in construction, agriculture, and cleaning parks; Uzbekistani women and children are victims of sex trafficking domestically and in the Middle East, Eurasia, and Asia; Uzbekistani men and, to a lesser extent, women are subjected to forced labor in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine in the construction, oil, agriculture, retail, and food sectors | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Uzbekistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; law enforcement efforts in 2014 were mixed; the government made efforts to combat sex and transnational labor trafficking, but government-compelled forced labor of adults in the cotton harvest went unaddressed, and the decree prohibiting forced child labor was not applied universally; official complicity in human trafficking in the cotton harvest remained prevalent; authorities made efforts to identify and protect sex and transnational labor victims, although a systematic process is still lacking; minimal efforts were made to assist victims of forced labor in the cotton harvest, as the government does not openly acknowledge the existence of this forced labor; the ILO did not have permission or funding to monitor the 2014 harvest, but the government authorized the UN's International Labour Organization to conduct a survey on recruitment practices and working conditions in agriculture, particularly the cotton sector, and to monitor the 2015-17 cotton harvests for child and forced labor in project areas (2015)

Airports

53 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 89

Airports - with paved runways

total: 33 | over 3,047 m: 6 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 4 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 20 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | under 914 m: 18 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

UK (2016)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 29 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,486,673 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 114,334,520 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 13,700 km; oil 944 km (2016)

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Termiz (Amu Darya)

Railways

total: 4,304 km | broad gauge: 4,304 km 1.520-m gauge (1,354 km electrified) (2016) | country comparison to the world: 48

Roadways

total: 86,496 km | paved: 75,511 km | unpaved: 10,985 km (2000) | country comparison to the world: 54

Waterways

1,100 km (2012) | country comparison to the world: 62