Tajikistan faces growing risks from its heavy dependence on labour migration, according to a report by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), reported Asiaplus.tj.
The report, “Economic Growth, Demographics and the Labour Market: Realities and Challenges”, was presented on October 29 at a conference in Astana. It finds that migration eases unemployment and supports household incomes. However, remittances mainly boost consumption and imports rather than domestic production or better-paid jobs, and may discourage vocational training.
The scale is considerable. According to World Bank data cited in the article, remittances equalled about 46% of GDP in 2025, after 49% in 2024, one of the highest shares in the world. About a quarter of Tajikistan’s workforce works abroad. Migrants in Russia can earn at least three times as much as in comparable low-skilled jobs at home, where the average monthly wage was 3,508 somoni in July 2026.
The outlook makes the issue more pressing. Russia, the main destination, is tightening its migration rules, and Kazakhstan’s labour market is much smaller. Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s working-age population is projected to grow from 6.34 million in 2025 to 8.8 million in 2040.
The EFSD recommends creating more productive jobs at home, supporting the private sector and improving workforce skills.
CentralasianLIGHT.org,
November 4, 2026