Uzbekistan's Population Surpasses 39 Million, Preliminary Census Results Show

These figures were presented on June 30 at a press conference held by Uzbekistan's Statistics Committee.

The preliminary census results exceeded the country's current statistical estimates. Before the census, Uzbekistan's population was estimated at 38,236,704. The difference amounts to 810,600 people.

The committee also noted that Uzbekistan's population has nearly doubled compared with the country's last census, conducted in 1989.

The census covered 97.3% of the population, while 2.7% of residents did not take part for various reasons. According to the committee, this level of coverage is considered normal under international standards, as in some countries more than 10% of the population is not counted during a census.

Preliminary results also show that 56,860 foreign nationals who have lived in Uzbekistan for more than one year were registered during the census. The largest number – 19,300 people – reside in Tashkent.

Among foreign residents, the largest group comes from India (13,312), followed by Russia (10,826), Kazakhstan (9,425), Tajikistan (5,722), Turkmenistan (5,347), Kyrgyzstan (4,397), Pakistan (1,433), China (1,031), Turkey (811) and South Korea (691).

The committee also released preliminary estimates of the census cost. According to officials, the census cost $0.12 per person, a figure they attributed to the use of digital technologies and streamlined administrative processes.

The preliminary findings also show that 35.7 million people, or 91.3% of the population, identified Uzbek as their mother tongue. By comparison, ethnic Uzbeks account for 89.4% of the country's population.

The final census results will be released after all collected data has been processed.