Labor migration of Uzbekistanis to Russia falls 13.2% even as remittances grow

Citizens of Uzbekistan entered Russia for employment purposes 1,178,609 times in the first half of 2026 — 13.2% fewer than in the corresponding period of 2025, according to data published by TASS on October 26. Despite the decline, Uzbekistan continues to rank first among all nationalities in the number of work-related border crossings into Russia.

Tajikistan ranks second with 494,518 entries, followed by Kyrgyzstan with 289,061 entries. Kazakhstan and China follow after. The statistics measure border crossings rather than individual persons: a single worker could cross multiple times.

Uzbekistan's Central Bank recorded approximately 1.358 million such crossings in the first half of 2025 — nearly 180,000 more than a year later.

Meanwhile, money transfers from Russia to Uzbekistan rose 8.8% over the same period. Russia accounted for 72.4% of all remittances received by Uzbekistan in the first half of 2026.

Uzbekistani workers are increasingly choosing other markets. The number of Uzbekistani citizens in European Union countries grew 13.2% in 2025, and in Turkey grew 10.7%. As of July 1, 2026, approximately 70,000 Uzbekistani citizens were in Turkey, and 102,200 in South Korea.

Uzbekistan's migration agency reviewed complaints from 817 citizens about unpaid wages and compensation during the first nine months of 2026, recovering a total of 850,000 dollars from foreign employers. Of these complaints, 533 came from Russia, 155 from Turkey, and 92 from South Korea. The agency also helped 532 citizens retrieve documents withheld by employers or intermediaries: 331 cases involved Russia, 185 involved Turkey.

Uzbekistan's Central Bank warned that further decline in labor migration could reduce household incomes and consumer spending.