The National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Statistics published a press release on July 30th presenting key indicators of the country's culture and arts for 2025. The data covers the activities of museums, theaters, concert organizations, circuses, zoos, botanical gardens, cultural and recreational parks, and information and library service institutions.
In 2025, there were 137 museum units (including branches) in Uzbekistan, which is one unit less than in 2024, or a decrease of 0.7%. Nevertheless, compared to 2021, the total number of museums increased by 10 units.
The number of museum visits reached 5,474.9 thousand, representing an increase of 692.3 thousand, or 14.5%. When calculated per 10,000 residents, the number of visitors was 1,445 units, which is higher than in the previous year by 158 units, or 12.3%.
The largest number of museums was recorded in Tashkent city (35 units), as well as in Bukhara and Khorezm regions (18 units each). The lowest figures were noted in Namangan, Surkhandarya, and Syrdarya regions (2 units each).
Regarding the total number of visits, Tashkent city led with 1,856.6 thousand visitors, followed by Samarkand (1,183.1 thousand) and Bukhara region (879.5 thousand). In terms of visits per 10,000 residents, the highest level was registered in Tashkent city (5,903 units), Bukhara region (4,204), and Khorezm region (2,782).
There are 41 state theaters operating in Uzbekistan, which held 11.9 thousand performances in 2025. The total number of spectators was 4,351.0 thousand, or 1,148 people per 10,000 population.
The concentration of theaters is highest in Tashkent city (12), Fergana region (5), and Samarkand region (4); the fewest theaters are in Navoi and Syrdarya regions (1 each).
In terms of attendance, Tashkent city topped the list with 1,107 thousand visits, followed by Fergana (622 thousand) and Khorezm regions (507 thousand).
The country has 51 state concert organizations that held 20,499 concerts, attracting 11,844.0 thousand spectators, or 3,126 per 10,000 population. The largest number of such organizations operates in Tashkent city (8), Karakalpakstan (5), as well as in Surkhandarya and Fergana regions (4 each). In terms of attendance per 10,000 residents, the leaders were Tashkent city (9,637 units), Syrdarya region (6,589), and Navoi region (5,887).
There is one state circus operating in the country, located in Tashkent. In 2025, circus performances reached 698 units, which is 147, or 26.7%, more than the previous year. Total circus attendance was 255.5 thousand, an increase of 98.2 thousand, or 62.4%, compared to 2024. Per 10,000 residents, circus attendance rose to 67 units, an increase of 59.5%.
Uzbekistan has 7 zoos located in Karakalpakstan, Andijan, Kashkadarya, Namangan, Surkhandarya, and Fergana regions, as well as in Tashkent. The total number of animals in these institutions was 744 units, a decrease of 107, or 12.6%. Meanwhile, zoo attendance increased to 1,465.4 thousand, an increase of 233.4 thousand, or 18.9%.
Three botanical gardens operate in Tashkent, Karakalpakstan, and Bukhara regions. Their total area in 2025 reached 113.3 hectares, an increase of 5.6%. Botanical garden visits sharply increased almost threefold, reaching 1,170.3 thousand, corresponding to 309 visits per 10,000 residents compared to 83 in the previous year.
The number of cultural and recreational parks in the country increased to 161 units, exceeding the indicator by 25 units, or 18.4%. The total area of these parks expanded by 34.5% to 1,830.5 hectares. The total number of park visitors grew to 27.0 million, an increase of 3.2 million, or 13.2%, compared to 2024.
Tashkent city has the largest number of parks (29), followed by Andijan (20) and Samarkand (17) regions. Regarding attendance per 10,000 residents, Namangan region showed an outstanding result—29,161 units, making it the second largest after Tashkent city (46,063 units), due to the high ratio of park attendance to the region's population.
In the field of information and library services, the number of institutions reached 17.8 thousand units in 2025, an increase of 2.8 thousand, or 18.7%. The total library fund increased by 4.8% to 89.2 million copies. The total number of registered library users reached 13.1 million people, which is 2.3% higher. The largest number of library institutions was recorded in Samarkand (2.0 thousand) and Kashkadarya (1.8 thousand) regions. By fund volume, Tashkent city leads with 17.6 million copies, followed by Andijan (11.9 million) and Samarkand (10.5 million) regions. The highest density of users per 10,000 residents was noted in Syrdarya region (5,407 users) compared to the national average of 3,461 users.
According to the National Statistical Committee, as of January 1, 2026, museums in Uzbekistan held 2.657 million exhibits in their main collections.
The presented statistical data reflects the state of museum funds at the beginning of 2026, as well as the activity of museums in conducting tours during 2025. In particular, 56,142 guided tours were organized across the country.
According to data from the National Statistical Committee, 127,241 citizens of Uzbekistan visited Turkey between January and June 2026.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of such trips increased by 25,200 people, which accounts for a growth of 24.7%. Tourism remained the most frequent reason for visits to Turkey in the first half of the year, covering over 80% of all arrivals.
The majority of Uzbek citizens traveled to Turkey for tourism purposes, with 104,289 people making the trip for this reason. Additionally, 19,629 citizens visited Turkey to see relatives, and 1,608 people arrived to receive medical care.
People also came to Turkey for other reasons: 967 people went on business trips, and 748 people went for training.
