Neighboring countries remain top destinations for Uzbek travelers

A total of 3.5 million Uzbek citizens traveled abroad for tourism purposes during the first half of 2026, with neighboring countries remaining the most popular destinations, according to the National Statistics Committee.

According to the committee, the top destinations for Uzbek travelers between January and June 2026 were:

•  Kyrgyzstan – 1,547,589 visitors
•  Kazakhstan – 667,722
•  Tajikistan – 619,515
•  Russia – 183,759
•  Saudi Arabia – 153,591
• Türkiye – 127,241
•  United Arab Emirates – 41,780
•  China – 36,502
•  Egypt – 25,905
•  Vietnam – 23,409

The statistics show that the number of Uzbek citizens traveling abroad during the first six months of 2026 increased by approximately 2,500 compared with the same period in 2025.

As in the first half of 2025, neighboring countries remained the preferred destinations for Uzbek tourists, with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan retaining the top three positions. However, the rankings changed slightly over the past year.

Notably, Saudi Arabia overtook Türkiye to become the fourth most visited destination among Uzbek travelers.

China also improved its position in the rankings, while Egypt and Vietnam moved lower on the list.

At the same time, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan maintained their positions as the three most popular destinations, highlighting the continued preference among Uzbek citizens for travel to neighboring countries.

Among more distant destinations, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and China continued to attract strong interest from Uzbek travelers.

Earlier, authorities reported that the average life expectancy of Uzbekistan's permanent population reached 75.4 years in 2025.