Inflow of Uzbek citizens to Kazakhstan in the first half of 2026 reached a five-year low

In the first half of 2026, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of citizens of Uzbekistan coming to Russia for work. Nevertheless, Uzbekistan continues to be the leading source of labor migration to the Russian Federation among Central Asian countries.

According to data from the Russian border service, during the period from January to June, citizens of Uzbekistan made over 1.1 million entries into Russia for employment purposes. This figure was 13.2% lower than in the same period last year.

Overall, the total number of labor entries from the three largest Central Asian countries—Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan—decreased by approximately 15%. In the first six months of 2026, about 1.9 million such trips were registered, compared to more than 2.3 million the previous year.

In terms of labor entries, Tajikistan ranks second with 494.5 thousand trips, and Kyrgyzstan ranks third with 289.1 thousand.

Experts cite several reasons for this decline. Among them are the tightening of migration legislation in Russia, the increase in the cost of patents for foreigners, the rise in medical examination costs, as well as increased expenses for accommodation and transport.

Concurrently, more and more migrant workers are considering alternative labor markets, such as South Korea, China, Middle Eastern countries, and European Union states. Furthermore, internal economic development and the attraction of foreign investment contribute to the emergence of new jobs within the republics themselves.

Legal specialists also point to increased control in Russia over compliance with migration norms. Failure to comply with the duration of stay or other requirements now more often leads to the inclusion of foreigners in the registry of controlled persons, which could potentially result in a ban on further stay and forced departure.

Additionally, Russian authorities are considering the possibility of introducing a requirement for migrants to mandatorily acquire a mobile phone with an electronic profile upon entering the country.

According to data from the National Committee on Statistics, the population of Uzbekistan increased by more than 373 thousand people during the period from January to June 2026. During these six months, 373.4 thousand live births were officially registered in the country.

Regions with the highest birth rates

The largest number of newborns was recorded in the Samarkand region, where 46.4 thousand babies were born. The Fergana region took second place with 41.7 thousand newborns, and Kashkadarya showed the third result—41.2 thousand children.

In addition, a significant number of births were registered in Surkhandarya (35.5 thousand), Andijan region (nearly 33 thousand), and Namangan region (31.4 thousand). Over 29 thousand children were born in the Tashkent region in the first half of the year, and 27.4 thousand in the capital itself.

Regions with the lowest rates

The lowest birth rates were noted in Karakalpakstan, where 15.9 thousand children were born. Low figures were also recorded in Navoi region (10.7 thousand) and Syrdarya region (9.3 thousand).

For context, almost 880 thousand babies were born in Uzbekistan last year.