Foreigners continue to move to Uzbekistan for permanent residence, although the scale of international migration remains relatively small. According to the National Statistics Committee, 721 people arrived in the country between January and March 2026, while 2,277 people left.
As a result, the migration balance remained negative once again, with the number of departures nearly three times higher than the number of arrivals.
Russia remains the main source of immigration to Uzbekistan. Russian citizens accounted for 34.1% of all arrivals in the first quarter of 2026. Another 19.7% came from Kazakhstan, while 12.2% arrived from Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan accounted for 4.9% and Turkmenistan for 3.7%. The remaining 25.4% came from other countries.
Most foreigners moving to Uzbekistan choose the capital region. In the first three months of 2026, 454 people moved to Tashkent — nearly 63% of all international migrants arriving in the country. Another 126 people settled in the Tashkent region.
For comparison, 56 people moved to Karakalpakstan, while 14 settled in the Samarkand region. In some regions, the figures were minimal: for example, only one person moved to the Kashkadarya region during the quarter.
Statistics for the whole of 2025 show a similar trend. During that year, 1,159 people moved to Uzbekistan for permanent residence from abroad. Nearly 40% of them came from Russia, while around 20% arrived from Kazakhstan. According to the committee, 10,117 people permanently left Uzbekistan in 2025.
Tashkent also remained the main destination for migrants in 2025. A total of 698 people moved to the capital from abroad, accounting for around 60% of all arrivals during the year. Another 275 people settled in the Tashkent region.
The published data reflect only international migration for permanent residence and do not include internal migration between regions of Uzbekistan.
According to the Statistics Committee, Uzbekistan’s permanent population reached 38.38 million people as of April 1, 2026. The urban population now exceeds the rural population: 50.9% of residents live in cities, while 49.1% live in rural areas.