In Uzbekistan, the number of registered marriages and the overall birth rate continue to decline steadily, Daryo.uz reported, citing data from the National Statistics Committee.
In the first half of 2026, 92,300 marriages were registered in the country, confirming the negative trend observed since 2021. Concurrently, the first quarter of 2026 saw a five-year low in the birth rate—191,100 children—significantly lower than the same periods in previous years, despite a simultaneous increase in the divorce rate.
These statistics demonstrate profound demographic and social transformations occurring in Uzbek society. High rates of urbanization, rising levels of education among women, rising marriage ages, and the financial costs of starting a family are changing traditional patterns of behavior.
In the long term, declining birth rates and changing family structures will reduce the demographic burden on Uzbekistan's social services and education system. However, for Central Asia's most populous country, this trend means a gradual slowdown in the influx of labor into the labor market, which will require the government to revise its economic policy toward increasing labor productivity and developing human capital.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 22, 2026