During the first quarter of 2026, the number of Uzbek citizens traveling abroad reached 1.63 million, marking an 11.6% increase compared to the same period last year. This trend was highlighted in the Central Bank's latest labor market review.
The report notes that air passenger traffic surged by 32% year-on-year, totaling 2.25 million passengers during this timeframe.
According to data from Russia's Federal State Statistics Service, 1.34 million Uzbek citizens were working in Russia under work patents in Q1 2026. This represents an 8.8% decline from the previous quarter and a 1.8% drop compared to the first quarter of last year. This downturn is largely attributed to seasonal factors and shifting conditions in foreign labor markets.
The Central Bank emphasized that the diversification of labor migration pathways is actively continuing.
Specifically, there is a steady rise in the number of Uzbek citizens obtaining residency and work permits in Turkiye. Data from the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey shows that nearly 70,000 such permits were issued in the first quarter, representing a 14% increase year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the number of Uzbek citizens residing in South Korea continued its stable upward trajectory in the first quarter, reaching 99,600 people.
Remittances
During the first quarter of 2026, remittance inflows to Uzbekistan reached $3.8 billion, marking a 13% increase compared to the same period last year.
The geographical diversification of these remittance flows continues to expand. However, the pace and sustainability of this trend remain heavily dependent on external labor markets and the macroeconomic conditions within major partner nations.
Notably, the share of remittances originating from Russia dropped from 77.6% in the first quarter of last year to 72.4% in Q1 2026. This decline is primarily attributed to rising work patent fees since the start of the year, a relative depreciation of the ruble in March, and the broader diversification of labor migration pathways.
Concurrently, other nations grew their share in total remittances. Kazakhstan's share increased by 1 percentage point to reach 4.1%, European countries climbed by 1 percentage point to 3.3%, and South Korea saw a 0.6 percentage point bump, also reaching 4.1%.
The combined share of all other countries rose by 2.6 percentage points, hitting 16.2%.
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