Labor migration from Uzbekistan to Russia falls 13.2% in H1 2026
The number of Uzbek citizens travelling to Russia for work fell by 13.2% year on year to 1.18 million in January–June 2026.
Labor migration from Uzbekistan to Russia dropped 13.2% in H1 2026
According to a report from the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, the number of Uzbek citizens working in Russia on patents also decreased, falling 9.2%.
At the same time, Uzbekistan’s labor migration is becoming more varied, with the number of Uzbek citizens in Turkey, South Korea, European countries and the United States rising in recent years.
The number of Uzbeks in these destinations increased by 10.1% in 2024 and then by another 8% in 2025. By the end of 2025, their total number in those countries and regions had reached nearly 320,000.
The sharpest increase was seen in the European Union and Turkey. The number of Uzbek migrants in EU countries rose 13.2% in 2025, while the figure for Turkey climbed 10.7%.
As of July 1, 2026, about 70,000 Uzbek citizens were living in Turkey, 9.3% more than a year earlier. In South Korea, the number reached 102,200.
The Central Bank said the drop in labor migration to Russia could raise the supply of workers in Uzbekistan’s domestic labor market. This could slow wage growth in some sectors and lower employers’ labor costs.
However, a decline in migration to some destinations could also cut remittance inflows, potentially pressuring household incomes and consumer demand.