GeoRealityMatch
A beautiful historic mosque with iconic blue domes and a towering minaret in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.Stunning aerial photo of a park in Tashkent, Uzbekistan highlighting its architecture and natural beauty.

Uzbekistan

Asia · Central Asia

High safetyVery affordable cost of livingHigh development

Few locals speak English well.

BackpackerCombines very affordable cost of living and high safety.
vs Kazakhstan
Safety

37th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.726lower is more peacefulHigh safety
#37 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
1.4per 100,000 people a yearLowUNODC / World Bank · 2021
Safety index
73.8Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferHighNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$3,670national income per person, US dollarsLow
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
12.2New York = 100ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
13.3years of median income to buy a median flatModerateNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 511% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 162% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$7.5K$15K$13,601 PPP$3,968Inflation, % a year20%0200620102015202020252006, $649 a person, $4,406 at PPP2007, $824 a person, $4,885 at PPP2008, $1,075 a person, $5,346 at PPP2009, $1,206 a person, $5,720 at PPP2010, $1,957 a person, $6,131 at PPP2011, $2,339 a person, $6,664 at PPP, inflation 13.8%2012, $2,574 a person, $6,881 at PPP, inflation 13.2%2013, $2,781 a person, $7,245 at PPP, inflation 11.8%2014, $3,021 a person, $7,465 at PPP, inflation 9.3%2015, $3,173 a person, $7,696 at PPP, inflation 8.8%2016, $3,128 a person, $7,862 at PPP, inflation 8.1%2017, $2,271 a person, $8,107 at PPP, inflation 13.9%2018, $1,894 a person, $8,492 at PPP, inflation 17.5%2019, $2,129 a person, $8,909 at PPP, inflation 14.5%2020, $2,088 a person, $8,920 at PPP, inflation 12.9%2021, $2,370 a person, $9,706 at PPP, inflation 10.8%2022, $2,699 a person, $10,809 at PPP, inflation 11.4%2023, $3,016 a person, $11,679 at PPP, inflation 10%2024, $3,337 a person, $12,518 at PPP, inflation 9.6%2025, $3,968 a person, $13,601 at PPP, inflation 8.8%$0$7.5K$15KInflation, % a year20%0200620102015202020252006, $649 a person, $4,406 at PPP2007, $824 a person, $4,885 at PPP2008, $1,075 a person, $5,346 at PPP2009, $1,206 a person, $5,720 at PPP2010, $1,957 a person, $6,131 at PPP2011, $2,339 a person, $6,664 at PPP, inflation 13.8%2012, $2,574 a person, $6,881 at PPP, inflation 13.2%2013, $2,781 a person, $7,245 at PPP, inflation 11.8%2014, $3,021 a person, $7,465 at PPP, inflation 9.3%2015, $3,173 a person, $7,696 at PPP, inflation 8.8%2016, $3,128 a person, $7,862 at PPP, inflation 8.1%2017, $2,271 a person, $8,107 at PPP, inflation 13.9%2018, $1,894 a person, $8,492 at PPP, inflation 17.5%2019, $2,129 a person, $8,909 at PPP, inflation 14.5%2020, $2,088 a person, $8,920 at PPP, inflation 12.9%2021, $2,370 a person, $9,706 at PPP, inflation 10.8%2022, $2,699 a person, $10,809 at PPP, inflation 11.4%2023, $3,016 a person, $11,679 at PPP, inflation 10%2024, $3,337 a person, $12,518 at PPP, inflation 9.6%2025, $3,968 a person, $13,601 at PPP, inflation 8.8%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Around the middle for life expectancy

Life expectancy
72.5years, at birthModerate
#111 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
79WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100HighWHO · 2023
Air pollution
24.1PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Fast home internet

Unemployment rate
4.6%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
93 Mbpsmedian download speedFastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
429EF English Proficiency Index scoreVery lowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet93 MbpsFast
Mobile52 MbpsSlow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Stunning aerial photo of a park in Tashkent, Uzbekistan highlighting its architecture and natural beauty.
How it changed

Uzbekistan's Human Development Index

0.740High human development

107th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 27th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #105Tunisia0.746
  2. #106South Africa0.741
  3. #107Uzbekistan0.740
  4. #108Bolivia0.733
  5. #108Gabon0.733
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 2000

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.603 in 2000 to 0.740 in 2023.

0.550.680.800.7402000201020232000: 0.6032001: 0.6102002: 0.6182003: 0.6252004: 0.6322005: 0.6382006: 0.6442007: 0.6582008: 0.6632009: 0.6722010: 0.6812011: 0.6862012: 0.6922013: 0.6982014: 0.7032015: 0.7072016: 0.7142017: 0.7192018: 0.7252019: 0.7302020: 0.7232021: 0.7272022: 0.7372023: 0.7400.550.680.802000201020232000: 0.6032001: 0.6102002: 0.6182003: 0.6252004: 0.6322005: 0.6382006: 0.6442007: 0.6582008: 0.6632009: 0.6722010: 0.6812011: 0.6862012: 0.6922013: 0.6982014: 0.7032015: 0.7072016: 0.7142017: 0.7192018: 0.7252019: 0.7302020: 0.7232021: 0.7272022: 0.7372023: 0.740

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 24 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
72.5 years2024at birthUp 5 years from 67.5 years in 2005
Internet users
90%2024of people onlineUp 83 points from 6% in 2006
Urban population
51%2025of people in towns and citiesLevel with 2006
Births per woman
3.492024births per womanUp 1.05 from 2.44 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
1%2021of energy usedLevel with 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityUp 1 point from 99% in 2005
Infant mortality
132024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 29 from 41 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
4.1 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 0.7 t from 4.8 t in 2005
Forest area
9%2023of land under forestUp 1 point from 7% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Ancient Silk Road cities in Samarkand and Bukhara; ultra cheap and opening up fast. The case against is little English among locals, low incomes and polluted air.

About Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a Central Asian country of extraordinary architectural heritage, where the Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva preserve some of the most beautiful Islamic architecture in the world in tilework, domes, and mosaics of vivid colour. The culture is Uzbek and Tajik at its roots, with a tradition of hospitality, pilaf, and tea that shapes every social encounter. Those with an interest in the ancient world and the Islamic artistic tradition will find it one of the great destinations in Asia.

Practical facts

  • CapitalTashkent
  • LanguagesRussian, Uzbek
  • CurrencyUzbekistani soʻm (UZS)
  • Area440,650 km²
  • Plug typeType C/F
  • Drives on theright
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Borders

AfghanistanKazakhstanKyrgyzstanTajikistanTurkmenistan

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Quick answers

What is Uzbekistan's Human Development Index?

Uzbekistan's Human Development Index is 0.740 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #107 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Uzbekistan safe?

Uzbekistan scores 1.73 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #37 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Uzbekistan?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Uzbekistan at 27.3 (New York = 100); that is #18 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Uzbekistan?

Life expectancy at birth in Uzbekistan is 72.5 yrs (World Bank), ranked #111 of 195 countries.