Demographics of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 24 million people, concentrated in the south and east of the country, are close to half the region's total population. Uzbekistan had been one of the poorest republics of the Soviet Union; much of its population was engaged in cotton farming in small rural communities. The population continues to be heavily rural and dependent on farming for its livelihood. The predominant ethnicity is said to be Uzbek. Other ethnic groups include Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, and Tatar 1.5%. These are actually the "official" percentages given by the Uzbek government. Other sources, such as the Tajiki sources however put the percentage of the Tajiki population of Uzbekistan at c. 30 percent of the population. (See: The Tajiks of Uzbekistan, Central Asian Survey (1996), 15(2), 213-216). The nation is 88% Sunni Muslim and 9% Eastern Orthodox. Uzbek is the official state language; however, Russian is the de facto language for interethnic communication, including much day-to-day government and business use.

The educational system has achieved 99% literacy, and the mean amount of schooling for both men and women is 11 years. However, due to budget constraints and other transitional problems following the collapse of the Soviet Union, texts and other school supplies, teaching methods, curricula, and educational institutions are outdated, inappropriate, and poorly kept. Additionally, the proportion of school-aged persons enrolled has been dropping. Although the government is concerned about this, budgets remain tight. Similarly, in health care, life expectancy is long, but after the breakup of the Soviet Union, health care resources have declined, reducing health care quality, accessibility, and efficiency.

Figures and Age Structure

Population:
26,410,416 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years:
34.1% (male 4,583,228; female 4,418,003)
15-64 years:
61.1% (male 7,990,233; female 8,157,136)
65 years and over:
4.8% (male 513,434; female 748,382) (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.65% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
26.12 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
7.95 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.69 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
71.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
64.09 years
male:
60.67 years
female:
67.69 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Officially:
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
These are actually the "official" percentages given by the Uzbek government. Other sources, such as the Tajiki sources however put the percentage of the Tajiki population of Uzbekistan at c. 30 percent of the population. (See: The Tajiks of Uzbekistan, Central Asian Survey (1996), 15(2), 213-216).

As of January 1, 1998, 1,123,200 ethnic Koreans lived in Uzbekistan, amounting to 4.7% of the total country's population.

Religions

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3% (including a few Buddhists amongst the small Korean population)

Languages

According to some sources:
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
And another sources:
The percentage of the Persian-speaking (Tajiki) population of Uzbekistan is c. 30 percent of the population. (See: The Tajiks of Uzbekistan, Central Asian Survey (1996), 15(2), 213-216).

Education

Literacy

definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99.3%
male:
99.6%
female:
99% (2003 est.)