According to an analytical report from the Pension Fund under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the number of pension recipients in Uzbekistan reached 4,361,432 as of July 1, 2026. This represents an increase of 158,897 people, or 3.8%, compared to the previous year. The average monthly pension amount was 1,688,061 sums.
Of the total recipients, 3.6 million people receive old-age pensions, accounting for 83% of all beneficiaries. Disability pensions are paid to 482,200 people (11%), and 261,300 people, corresponding to 6% of the total, are families receiving survivor benefits.
During the first six months of the year, 154,180 new pensions were issued. Pensioners constitute 11% of Uzbekistan's population, which is one of the lowest shares among CIS and Baltic countries, and this indicator is described in the report as a demographic advantage for the pension system.
The largest number of pensioners was recorded in the Fergana region, with 515,400 people, accounting for one of the eight pensioners nationwide. The Fergana, Samarkand, Andijan, and Kashkadarya regions together account for 41% of all pension recipients.
The highest shares of disability pensions were noted in Navoi region (18.2%), Syrdarya region (17.7%), and Karakalpakstan Republic (15.3%).
The fund's financial indicators showed mixed trends. The budget for 2026 forecasts a surplus of 1.6 trillion sums, but this surplus is entirely due to a transfer from the state budget. Without this transfer, the deficit in core insurance operations would reach 21.4 trillion sums, which is 13.8% higher than the previous year.
The budget transfer increased by 24%, reaching 23 trillion sums compared to 18.5 trillion sums, thereby raising the share of this transfer in the fund's total income to 26.2% from the previous 24.3%.
The fund's own revenues grew by 11.7% year-on-year, while expenditures increased by 12.2%. The report notes that despite a small gap, it persists and accumulates over time.
The social tax accounted for 71.5% of the fund's total income but was insufficient to independently finance pension expenditures. Social tax collections grew by 16.2% from January to June, reaching 31.9 trillion sums against 27.4 trillion sums the previous year, outpacing inflation.
Only Tashkent generated 10.4 trillion sums, which accounts for about a third of all social tax receipts, exceeding the combined collections of more than half of the remaining 13 regions of the country. The fastest revenue growth was recorded in Tashkent (19.2%), Samarkand region (19.1%), and Navoi region (18.4%), while the slowest growth was noted in Tashkent region (11.3%) and Andijan region (11.7%). The report indicates that these regions require additional measures to legalize wages.
Regional differences remain significant. Overall across the country, the social tax covered only 76.9% of pension expenses, with total social tax collections amounting to 31.9 trillion sums, and pension expenditures reaching 41.4 trillion sums, leaving a deficit of 9.5 trillion sums.
Tashkent became the only net donor, as its revenues covered 208.6% of pension expenses, generating a surplus of 5.4 trillion sums. Navoi region was close to balance with a coverage ratio of 99.6%, while 12 regions failed to cover even half of their pension costs.
The lowest coverage ratios were registered in Samarkand region (50.8%), Fergana region (50.9%), and Kashkadarya region (51.8%). Pension expenditures grew at approximately the same rate in all regions, ranging from 12.5% to 16.3%, while income growth varied significantly. According to the report, this imbalance is expected to widen over time.
Service quality improved during the reporting period. The Pension Fund provided 1.77 million electronic services in the first half of the year, averaging 295,400 services per month. 54.2% of newly granted old-age pensions and 87.3% of disability pensions were granted proactively, without the need for citizens to apply.
Three new services were introduced, including the issuance of pension certificates, which were used 132,300 times. The number of citizen inquiries decreased by 39.2% to 3,751 compared to 6,168 the previous year. A decrease was observed in all 15 regional reporting categories. The number of inquiries per 1,000 pensioners fell from 1.47 to 0.86, despite the increase in beneficiaries.
The report identifies the main risks to the pension system as faster growth of expenditures compared to income, regional financial imbalances, and growing demographic pressure, noting that the annual increase in the number of pensioners by 3.8% outpaces the country's population growth.
According to the Fiscal Strategy for the period 2027–2029, prepared by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, it is projected that the average pension amount in Uzbekistan will reach 1.8 million soums in 2027. This figure exceeds the level of 1.7 million soums recorded in 2026.
It is expected that the number of citizens receiving pensions may increase by 165 thousand, reaching a total of 4.592 million people. It is projected that the Pension Fund's expenditures in 2027 will amount to 95.7 trillion soums, which is 11.1% more than expected in 2026. The growth in these expenditures is partly due to the increase in the number of pensioners.
It is planned that the fund's income will increase by 14%, reaching 73.8 trillion soums. The main source of revenue remains the social tax, which is forecast to bring in 71.4 trillion soums. To cover a possible deficit and ensure timely payments from the republican budget, 23 trillion soums are planned to be allocated, corresponding to the 2026 level.
Medium-term forecasts show a further increase in the number of pension recipients: 4.76 million people are expected in 2028, and 4.94 million in 2029. Accordingly, the average pension amount is forecasted at 1.9 million soums in 2028 and 2.1 million soums in 2029. By 2029, the fund's total expenditures may rise to 119.4 trillion soums.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance warns that without implementing reforms, the dependence of the pension system on state financing during the 2027–2029 period will remain high. Key problems noted include informal employment, which limits the fund's income base, and the existence of social tax benefits for certain legal entities.
To improve coverage by the pension system, it is proposed to gradually transition self-employed individuals who currently do not pay social tax to paying it. Additionally, citizens with official earnings may be given opportunities to voluntarily pay social tax for non-working family members to build their service record. Furthermore, the possibility of gradually abolishing and limiting the provision of new social tax benefits is being considered.
As of June 1, there were over 4.35 million pension recipients in Uzbekistan. These categories include about 3.6 million people receiving old-age pensions, 484.5 thousand receiving disability pensions, and another 260.6 thousand due to loss of breadwinner. Overall, the average pension amount in the country was 1.58 million soums, but as of July 1, this figure increased by an average of 7%. In the capital, Tashkent, the average pension amount was significantly higher—2.16 million soums.
