According to data from the National Statistical Committee, in the first half of 2026, Uzbekistan imported significantly more natural gas than it exported, with import volumes growing while exports decreased.
According to data from the National Statistical Committee, in the first half of 2026, Uzbekistan imported significantly more natural gas than it exported, with import volumes growing while exports decreased.
Natural gas imported from Russia and Turkmenistan increased by 41.4% compared to the previous year, reaching $971.7 million for the period from January to June. The total amount included $86.3 million in liquefied gas imports, which grew threefold.
During the first half of the year, gas imports fluctuated. After reaching $167.6 million in January, imports fell to $34.6 million in February, and then rose to $158.3 million in March. In April, imports amounted to $147.8 million, rising to $216.4 million in May, and reaching their highest annual value of $247 million in June.
Exports of natural gas from Uzbekistan decreased by 34.4% over this six-month period, totaling $232.9 million. Exports were completely suspended in January and resumed in February at a level of $7.1 million.
In March, exports increased more than fivefold compared to February, reaching $29.4 million. Subsequently, they rose to $92.7 million in April, before falling to $73.5 million in May and $30 million in June.
Data from the National Statistical Committee differs from information published by the General Customs Administration of China. According to Chinese customs statistics, Uzbekistan exported natural gas worth $218.6 million during the period from January to June 2026, which is $14.2 million less than indicated by the Uzbek statistical agency. Chinese data also recorded a decrease in natural gas imports into Uzbekistan.
According to Chinese figures, exports in June amounted to $79.03 million, which is 23.7% less than in the same month last year. Compared to January-June 2025, when exports totaled $368.5 million, natural gas exports decreased by more than 40%.
Uzbekistan is experiencing a continued decline in the extraction of natural gas, oil, and gas condensate from January to June. This data was analyzed by 'Gazeta' based on information from the National Committee on Statistics.
In the first six months, natural gas production reached 18.3 billion cubic meters, which is 16% less than the same period in 2025 (when the volume was 21.8 billion cubic meters). In June, 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas were produced, which is 26.8% less than in June of the previous year (3.42 billion cubic meters). The rate of gas decline has significantly accelerated: in May, the year-on-year decrease was 4.6%. The average daily gas production in June fell to 83.3 million cubic meters, which is 19.3% lower than in May and 26.8% compared to last year. This figure is the lowest monthly value since the beginning of 2022. On average for the first half of the year, the country produced 101.1 million cubic meters of gas per day, whereas the figure was 120.4 million cubic meters the previous year.
Despite the overall slowdown in growth rates, electricity production in the country continued to increase. From January to June, 44.14 billion kWh was produced, which is 5.7% higher than last year's figure (43.54 billion kWh). However, the National Statistical Committee adjusted the data for the first half of 2025: the initially estimated figure of 43.54 billion kWh was reduced to 41.75 billion kWh, corresponding to a drop of 1.79 billion kWh or 4.1%. The main reason for the adjustment lies in the revision of data on generation at small enterprises (a decrease from 12.29 billion to 10.46 billion).
In June, generation amounted to 7.97 billion kWh, which is 28.9% more than in June 2025 (6.18 billion kWh). Large production facilities generated 29.83 billion kWh since the beginning of the year, which is 4.6% less than the previous year's volume (31.28 billion kWh). Nevertheless, in June, large enterprise generation increased by 1.1%, reaching 5.02 billion kWh. The growth in total generation was still supported by small enterprises, including solar and wind farms, as well as hydroelectric power plants. Over the six months, these facilities produced 14.31 billion kWh, which is 36.7% more than the previous year. In June, small enterprise generation was 2.95 billion kWh, approximately two and a half times higher than the previous year's figure.
Gasoline and Diesel Fuel
The production of automotive gasoline for the period from January to June increased by 6%, reaching 614.2 thousand tons compared to 575.6 thousand tons in the same period in 2025. In June, oil refineries produced 112 thousand tons of gasoline, which is 22.4% more than the previous year. Furthermore, production in June almost tripled compared to May, when it was 84.7 thousand tons. Diesel fuel production for the half-year amounted to 568 thousand tons, which is 2.1% higher than the previous year's level (557.5 thousand tons). However, in June, diesel fuel output decreased by 21.4% year-on-year, amounting to 91.6 thousand tons, compared to 95.4 thousand tons produced in May.
Coal, Oil, and Gas Condensate
Coal extraction for January-June decreased by 18.7% compared to the same period last year (from 3.07 million tons to 2.5 million tons). Meanwhile, coal production in June increased to 900 thousand tons, which is 27.7% more than the previous year. For comparison, only 300 thousand tons of coal were extracted in May, representing a drop of almost 50% compared to May 2025. Oil production over six months decreased by 3.1%, amounting to 313.8 thousand tons compared to 323.8 thousand tons the previous year. In June, 51.9 thousand tons of oil were extracted, which is 2.1% less than the June 2025 figure. Gas condensate extraction in January-June decreased by 19.6%, reaching 462.1 thousand tons. In June, condensate production was 70.4 thousand tons, which is 24% below the annual figure.
It was also noted that thermal energy production for the half-year decreased by 18.1%, falling from 11.34 million to 9.28 million Gcal. In June, this figure reached 854.9 thousand Gcal, which is 24.1% less than last year.
