Russia’s share in remittances to Uzbekistan continues to decline

According to data for the first quarter of this year, Russia’s share in remittances received by Uzbekistan from abroad fell from 77.6% to 72.4%, while the number of Uzbek citizens working in Russia on the basis of patents decreased by 8.8% compared to the previous quarter. This was stated in the Central Bank’s labor market review for the first quarter of 2026.

It was noted that population mobility continued to grow in the first quarter of this year. During this period, the number of Uzbek citizens who traveled abroad reached 1.63 million, an increase of 11.6% compared to the same period last year.

In addition, the number of passengers transported by air increased significantly during the reporting period, reaching 2.25 million. This figure was 32% higher than in the same period last year.

According to the latest available data, in the first quarter of 2026, the number of Uzbek citizens working in Russia on the basis of patents amounted to 1.34 million. This was 8.8% lower than in the previous quarter and 1.8% lower than in the same period last year, which may be explained by seasonal factors and changes in external labor market conditions.

According to the Central Bank, the process of diversifying labor migration destinations is continuing. In particular, the number of official permits for migration to Turkey is increasing. According to the Migration Management Authority under the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey, the number of such permits reached nearly 70,000 in the first quarter, up 14% compared to the same period last year.

The number of Uzbek citizens staying in South Korea also continued to grow steadily in the first quarter, reaching 99,600.

Remittances also maintained a growth trend in the first quarter of 2026, reaching $3.8 billion, an increase of 13% compared to the same period last year.

Diversification also continued in the structure of remittances by country. In particular, in the first quarter of 2026, the share of remittances from Russia fell from 77.6% in the same period last year to 72.4%. The main reasons cited were the increase in patent payments from the beginning of the year, the relative depreciation of the ruble in March, and the expansion of labor migration destinations.

At the same time, Kazakhstan’s share in total remittances rose by 1 percentage point to 4.1%, the share of European countries increased by 1 percentage point to 3.3%, and South Korea’s share rose by 0.6 percentage points to 4.1%. The share of other countries increased by 2.6 percentage points, reaching 16.2%.

Earlier, it was reported that the volume of funds received by Uzbekistan through international money transfers in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 13% and amounted to $3.8 billion.