Is Uzbekistan becoming more Chinese? Every third foreign enterprise is from China.
As of August 1, 2026, there were 20,973 enterprises with foreign investment operating in Uzbekistan, according to the National Statistics Committee. The vast majority of these enterprises—16,288—are foreign-owned, while another 4,685 operate as joint ventures. Over the past five years, the number of operating enterprises with foreign investment […]
Uzbekistan: Chinese Business Leads Foreign Investors
According to the National Statistics Committee, as of August 1, 2026, there were 20,973 foreign-invested enterprises operating in Uzbekistan. Of these, 16,288 were wholly foreign-owned, and 4,685 were joint ventures.
Over the past five years, the number of such companies in the country has increased 1.7-fold, indicating growing interest from foreign investors in the Uzbek market.
China ranks first in the number of registered foreign-invested enterprises in Uzbekistan, accounting for 6,241 companies, or almost every third foreign-invested enterprise.
Russia ranks second with 3,512 enterprises, and Turkey is third with 2,327.
The top ten countries by number of operating enterprises with foreign investment in Uzbekistan are as follows:
1. China – 6,241
2. Russia – 3,512
3. Turkey – 2,327
4. Kazakhstan – 1,321
5. Republic of Korea – 730
6. Afghanistan – 706
7. Azerbaijan – 492
8. Tajikistan – 467
9. UAE – 453
10. India – 439
Thus, China not only maintains its leadership among foreign investors in terms of the number of established enterprises but also significantly outpaces its closest competitors.
It was previously reported that in the first half of 2026, China became Uzbekistan's largest trading partner, accounting for almost a quarter of the country's foreign trade turnover, amounting to $9.5 billion.