Why is this important
This is the first nationwide census since 1989 and will enable updates to data on demography, employment, migration, income, and agriculture. The new format (online + bypass) will cut bureaucracy, lower costs, enhance transparency, and speed up data collection. Reducing the number of questions (from 328 to 71) should boost response rates, lessen family burdens, and simplify data processing.
Key facts
- The census is scheduled from 15 January to 28 February 2026; the first 17 days involve online data collection, followed by door-to-door visits with the participation of the mahalla “seven”.
- It is proposed that the agricultural census and the population census will be carried out concurrently.
- The savings were estimated at approximately 1.3 trillion soums due to the new format and reduction of issues.
- The number of questions will be significantly reduced — from 328 to 71.
- The Law “On Population Census” states that the population census must be conducted at least once every 10 years, and the agricultural census every 5 years.
What they say
The authorities highlight that the database to be established will enable more precise planning of state programmes, assessment of food security, agricultural services, migration processes, and others. International organisations — the World Bank, UNFPA, and FAO — are involved in project preparation, which enhances the quality of data collection methods and techniques.
Context
The last general census in Uzbekistan was conducted in 1989 as part of the USSR. Many legally mandated obligations remain unfulfilled: censuses were often postponed. The Law “On Population Census” was adopted in 2020. Modern international standards (Recommendations of the 2020 Conference of European Statisticians, FAO, etc.) suggest that such censuses should provide comparable data in terms of quality and completeness to serve as a basis for planning, policy, and international reports.
