Demographics of Uzbekistan
Encyclopedia
The Demographics of Uzbekistan is about the demographic
features of the population
of Uzbekistan
, including population growth, population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The nationality of any person from Uzbekistan is Uzbekistan, while the ethnic Uzbek majority call themselves Uzbeks
.
Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 28.1 million people (July 2011 estimate) comprise nearly half the region's total population.
The population of Uzbekistan is very young: 34.1% of its people are younger than 14. According to official sources, Uzbeks
comprise a majority (80%) of the total population. Other ethnic groups include Russians
5.5%, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs
3%, Karakalpaks
2.5%, and Tatars
1.5% (1996 estimates). There is some controversy about the percentage of the Tajik population. Official data from Uzbekistan that put the number of Tajiks at 5% of the population do not include ethnic Tajiks who, for a variety of reasons, choose to identify themselves as Uzbeks in population census forms. Some Western scholars, citing anonymous "observers" or "Tajiks around the country", accordingly estimate the number of Tajiks in Uzbekistan at 20% or even as high as 25%-30%.
Uzbekistan has an ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated
to the region from the Soviet Far East
in 1937-1938. There are also small groups of Armenians
in Uzbekistan, mostly in Tashkent and Samarkand. The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly Sunni, with a 5% Shi'a minority), 9% Eastern Orthodox and 3% other faiths (which include small communities of Korean Christians, other Christian denominations, Buddhists, Baha'is, and more). The Bukharan Jews
have lived in Central Asia, mostly in Uzbekistan, for thousands of years. There were 94,900 Jews in Uzbekistan
in 1989 (about 0.5% of the population according to the 1989 census), but now, since the collapse of the USSR, most Central Asian Jews left the region for the United States
or Israel
. Fewer than 5,000 Jews remain in Uzbekistan.
Much of Uzbekistan's population was engaged in cotton
farming in large-scale collective farms when the country was part of the Soviet Union
. The population continues to be heavily rural and dependent on farming for its livelihood, although the farm structure in Uzbekistan has largely shifted from collective to individual since 1990.
In 2002, the estimated TFR was 2.92; Uzbeks 2.99, Russians 1.35, Karakalpak 2.69, Tajik 3.19, Kazakh 2.95, Tatar 2.05, others 2.53; Tashkent City 1.96, Karakalpakstan 2.90, Fergana 2.73; Eastern region 2.71, East Central 2.96, Central 3.43, Western 3.05.
The high fertility rate during the Soviet Union and during its period of disintegration is partly due to the historical cultural preferences for large families, economic reliance upon agriculture, and the greater relative worth of Soviet child benefits in Uzbekistan. Abortion was the preferred method of birth control. Legalized in 1955, the number of abortions increased by 231% from 1956-1973. By 1991, the abortion ratio was 39 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age per year.
However, in the past few decades, fertility control methods have shifted considerably from abortion to modern contraceptive methods, especially IUDs. By the mid-1980s IUDS became the main method of contraception through government and organizational policies that aimed to introduce women to modern contraceptives. According to a UHES report from 2002, 73% of married Uzbek woman had used the IUD, 14% male condom, and 13% the pill.
The government supported the use of modern contraceptives to control fertility rates because of national economic difficulties that followed the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Thus the government has been influential in determining the popularity of the IUD. Despite family planning programs that educate women on different methods of contraception, the IUD has remained women’s first choice of contraception. Word of mouth and social relations also account for the strong preference for the IUD. Nevertheless, factors such as class and level of education have been shown to give women more freedom in their choice of contraception methods.
Uzbek
71%, Russian
8%, Tajik 5% (believed to be much higher), Kazakh
4%, Tatar
3%, Karakalpak 2%, other 7%.
Estimates of ethnic composition in 1996 from CIA World Factbook:
Uzbek
80%, Russian
5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh
3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar
1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 estimates).
The table shows the ethnic composition of Uzbekistan's population (in percent) according to four population censuses between 1926 and 1989 (no population census was carried out in 1999, and the next census is now being planned for 2010). The increase in the percentage of Tajik from 3.9% of the population in 1979 to 4.7% in 1989 may be attributed, at least in part, to the change in census instructions: in the 1989 census for the first the nationality could be reported not according to the passport, but freely self-declared on the basis of the respondent's ethnic self-identification.
Following independence, Uzbek was made the official state language. President Islam Karimov, the radical nationalist group Birlik (Unity), and the Uzbek Popular Front promoted this change. These parties believed that Uzbek would stimulate nationalism and the change itself was part of the process of de-Russification, which was meant to deprive Russian language and culture of any recognition. Birlik held campaigns in the late 1980s to achieve this goal, with one event in 1989 culminating in 12,000 people in Tashkent calling for official recognition of Uzbek as the state language. In 1995, the government adopted the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on State Language, which mandates that Uzbek be used in all public spheres and official jobs. Scholars studying migration and ethnic minorities have since critiqued the law as a source of discrimination toward minorities who do not speak Uzbek. Nevertheless, Russian remains the de facto language when it comes to science, inter-ethnic communication, business, and advertising.
Sources suggest that the Persian-speaking Tajik population of Uzbekistan may be as large as 25%-30% of the total population, but these estimates are based on unverifiable reports of "Tajiks around the country". The Tajik language is the dominant language spoken in the cities of Bukhara and Samarqand. The delineation of territory in 1924 and the process of “Uzbekification” caused many Tajiks to identify as Uzbek. Thus there are many Tajiks who speak Tajik but they are considered Uzbek.
Muslims constitute 90% of the population according to a 2009 US State Department release. Approximately 5% of the population are Russian Orthodox Christians.
There were 94,900 Jews in Uzbekistan
in 1989 (about 0.5% of the population according to the 1989 census), but fewer than 5,000 remained in 2007.
Due to high literacy rates and Soviet educational background, religious fundamentalism is not widespread in Uzbekistan; a study showed that only 35% of surveyed consider religion
as "very important".
See also: Islam in Uzbekistan
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook as of September 2009, unless otherwise indicated.
15–64 years: 67% (male 9,191,439/female 9,309,791)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 576,191/female 770,829) (2009 est.)
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Male: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
male: 68.95 years
female: 75.15 years (2009 est.)
total population: 99.3%
male: 99.6%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
The process of migration changed after the fall of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet Union, passports facilitated movement throughout the fifteen republics and movement throughout the republics was relatively less expensive than it is today. An application for a labor abroad permit from a special department of the Uzbek Agency of External Labor Migration in Uzbekistan is required since 2003. The permit was originally not affordable to many Uzbeks and the process was critiqued for its bureaucracy. The same departments and agencies involved in creating this permit are consequently working to substantially reduce the costs as well as simplifying the procedure. On July 4, 2007, the Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov signed three agreements that would address labor activity and protection of the rights of the working migrants (this includes Russian citizens in Uzbekistan and Uzbek citizens in Russia) as well as cooperation in fighting undocumented immigration and the deportation of undocumented workers..
Uzbek Migration
Economic difficulties have increased labor migration to Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, the Republic of Korea, and Europe over the past decade. At least 10% of Uzbekistan’s labor force works abroad. Approximately 58% of the labor force that migrates, migrates to Russia. High unemployment rates and low wages are responsible for labor migration.
Migrants typically are people from the village, farmers, blue-collar workers, and students who are seeking work abroad. However, many migrants are not aware of the legal procedures required to leave the country, causing many to end up unregistered in Uzbekistan or the host country. Without proper registration, undocumented migrants are susceptible to underpayment, no social guarantees and bad treatment by employers. According to data from the Russian Federal Immigration Service, there were 102,658 officially registered labor migrants versus 1.5 million unregistered immigrants from Uzbekistan in Russia in 2006. The total remittances for both groups combined was approximately US $1.3 billion that same year, eight percent of Uzbekistan’s GDP.
Minorities
A significant number of ethnic and national minorities left Uzbekistan after the country became independent, but actual numbers are unknown. The primary reasons for migration by minorities include: few economic opportunities, a low standard of living, and a poor prospect for educational opportunities for future generations. Although Uzbekistan’s language law has been cited as a source of discrimination toward those who do not speak Uzbek, this law has intertwined with social, economic, and political factors that have led to migration as a solution to a lack of opportunities in Uzbekistan.
Russians, who constituted a primarily urban population made up half of the population of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, until the 1980s. Since then, the population has been gradually diminishing as many Russians have migrated to Russia. Nevertheless, Russian registration permits (propiska) constrain migration. The decision to migrate is complicated by the fact that many Russians or other minority groups who have a “homeland” may view Uzbekistan as the “motherland.” It is also complicated by the fact that these groups might not speak the national language of their “homeland” or may be registered under another nationality on their passports. Nonetheless, “native” embassies facilitate this migration. Approximately 200 visas are given out to Jews from the Israel embassy weekly.
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, including population growth, population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The nationality of any person from Uzbekistan is Uzbekistan, while the ethnic Uzbek majority call themselves Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
.
Demographic trends
The population of Uzbekistan is very young: 34.1% of its people are younger than 14. According to official sources, Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
comprise a majority (80%) of the total population. Other ethnic groups include Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
5.5%, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
3%, Karakalpaks
Karakalpaks
The Karakalpaks are a Turkic speaking people. They mainly live in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and in the delta of Amu Darya on the southern shore of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. The name "Karakalpak" comes from two words: "qara" meaning black, and "qalpaq" meaning hat...
2.5%, and Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
1.5% (1996 estimates). There is some controversy about the percentage of the Tajik population. Official data from Uzbekistan that put the number of Tajiks at 5% of the population do not include ethnic Tajiks who, for a variety of reasons, choose to identify themselves as Uzbeks in population census forms. Some Western scholars, citing anonymous "observers" or "Tajiks around the country", accordingly estimate the number of Tajiks in Uzbekistan at 20% or even as high as 25%-30%.
Uzbekistan has an ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated
Deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union
Deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union, originally conceived in 1926, initiated in 1930, and carried through in 1937, was the first mass transfer of an entire nationality based on their ethnicity to be committed by the Soviet Union...
to the region from the Soviet Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
in 1937-1938. There are also small groups of Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
in Uzbekistan, mostly in Tashkent and Samarkand. The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly Sunni, with a 5% Shi'a minority), 9% Eastern Orthodox and 3% other faiths (which include small communities of Korean Christians, other Christian denominations, Buddhists, Baha'is, and more). The Bukharan Jews
Bukharan Jews
Bukharan Jews, also Bukharian Jews or Bukhari Jews, or яҳудиёни Бухоро Yahūdieni Bukhoro , Bukhori Hebrew Script: יהודיאני בוכאראי and יהודיאני בוכארי), also called the Binai Israel, are Jews from Central Asia who speak Bukhori, a dialect of the Tajik-Persian language...
have lived in Central Asia, mostly in Uzbekistan, for thousands of years. There were 94,900 Jews in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
in 1989 (about 0.5% of the population according to the 1989 census), but now, since the collapse of the USSR, most Central Asian Jews left the region for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Fewer than 5,000 Jews remain in Uzbekistan.
Much of Uzbekistan's population was engaged in cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
farming in large-scale collective farms when the country was part of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The population continues to be heavily rural and dependent on farming for its livelihood, although the farm structure in Uzbekistan has largely shifted from collective to individual since 1990.
Births and deaths
| Average population (x 1000) | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 15 952 | 540 047 | 118 886 | 421 161 | 33.9 | 7.5 | 26.4 |
| 1981 | 16 376 | 572 197 | 117 793 | 454 404 | 34.9 | 7.2 | 27.7 |
| 1982 | 16 813 | 589 283 | 124 137 | 465 146 | 35.0 | 7.4 | 27.7 |
| 1983 | 17 261 | 609 400 | 128 779 | 480 621 | 35.3 | 7.5 | 27.8 |
| 1984 | 17 716 | 641 398 | 132 042 | 509 356 | 36.2 | 7.5 | 28.8 |
| 1985 | 18 174 | 679 057 | 131 686 | 547 371 | 37.4 | 7.2 | 30.1 |
| 1986 | 18 634 | 708 658 | 132 213 | 576 445 | 38.0 | 7.1 | 30.9 |
| 1987 | 19 095 | 714 454 | 133 781 | 580 673 | 37.4 | 7.0 | 30.4 |
| 1988 | 19 561 | 694 144 | 134 688 | 559 456 | 35.5 | 6.9 | 28.6 |
| 1989 | 20 033 | 668 807 | 126 862 | 541 945 | 33.4 | 6.3 | 27.1 |
| 1990 | 20 515 | 691 636 | 124 553 | 567 083 | 33.7 | 6.1 | 27.6 |
| 1991 | 21 009 | 723 420 | 130 294 | 593 126 | 34.4 | 6.2 | 28.2 |
| 1992 | 21 509 | 680 459 | 140 092 | 540 367 | 31.6 | 6.5 | 25.1 |
| 1993 | 22 005 | 692 324 | 145 294 | 547 030 | 31.5 | 6.6 | 24.9 |
| 1994 | 22 478 | 657 725 | 148 423 | 509 302 | 29.3 | 6.6 | 22.7 |
| 1995 | 22 918 | 677 999 | 145 439 | 532 560 | 29.6 | 6.3 | 23.2 |
| 1996 | 23 319 | 634 842 | 144 829 | 490 013 | 27.2 | 6.2 | 21.0 |
| 1997 | 23 685 | 602 694 | 137 331 | 465 363 | 25.4 | 5.8 | 19.6 |
| 1998 | 24 030 | 553 745 | 140 526 | 413 219 | 23.0 | 5.8 | 17.2 |
| 1999 | 24 372 | 544 788 | 130 529 | 414 259 | 22.4 | 5.4 | 17.0 |
| 2000 | 24 724 | 527 580 | 135 598 | 391 982 | 21.3 | 5.5 | 15.9 |
| 2001 | 25 090 | 512 950 | 132 542 | 380 408 | 20.4 | 5.3 | 15.2 |
| 2002 | 25 467 | 532 511 | 137 028 | 395 483 | 20.9 | 5.4 | 15.5 |
| 2003 | 25 849 | 508 457 | 135 933 | 372 524 | 19.7 | 5.3 | 14.4 |
| 2004 | 26 226 | 540 381 | 130 357 | 410 024 | 20.6 | 5.0 | 15.6 |
| 2005 | 26 593 | 533 530 | 140 585 | 392 945 | 20.1 | 5.3 | 14.8 |
| 2006 | 26 947 | 555 946 | 139 622 | 416 324 | 20.6 | 5.2 | 15.4 |
| 2007 | 27 291 | 608 917 | 137 430 | 471 487 | 22.3 | 5.0 | 17.3 |
| 2008 | 27 217 | 646 096 | 138 792 | 507 304 | 23.7 | 5.1 | 18.6 |
| 2009 | 27 509 | 649 727 | 130 659 | 519 068 | 23.6 | 4.7 | 18.9 |
| 2010 |
Total fertility rate (TFR)
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) estimated as of 2011 is 1.89 children born/woman.In 2002, the estimated TFR was 2.92; Uzbeks 2.99, Russians 1.35, Karakalpak 2.69, Tajik 3.19, Kazakh 2.95, Tatar 2.05, others 2.53; Tashkent City 1.96, Karakalpakstan 2.90, Fergana 2.73; Eastern region 2.71, East Central 2.96, Central 3.43, Western 3.05.
The high fertility rate during the Soviet Union and during its period of disintegration is partly due to the historical cultural preferences for large families, economic reliance upon agriculture, and the greater relative worth of Soviet child benefits in Uzbekistan. Abortion was the preferred method of birth control. Legalized in 1955, the number of abortions increased by 231% from 1956-1973. By 1991, the abortion ratio was 39 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age per year.
However, in the past few decades, fertility control methods have shifted considerably from abortion to modern contraceptive methods, especially IUDs. By the mid-1980s IUDS became the main method of contraception through government and organizational policies that aimed to introduce women to modern contraceptives. According to a UHES report from 2002, 73% of married Uzbek woman had used the IUD, 14% male condom, and 13% the pill.
The government supported the use of modern contraceptives to control fertility rates because of national economic difficulties that followed the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Thus the government has been influential in determining the popularity of the IUD. Despite family planning programs that educate women on different methods of contraception, the IUD has remained women’s first choice of contraception. Word of mouth and social relations also account for the strong preference for the IUD. Nevertheless, factors such as class and level of education have been shown to give women more freedom in their choice of contraception methods.
Ethnic groups
Ethnic composition according to the 1989 population census (latest available):Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
71%, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
8%, Tajik 5% (believed to be much higher), Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
4%, Tatar
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
3%, Karakalpak 2%, other 7%.
Estimates of ethnic composition in 1996 from CIA World Factbook:
Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
80%, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 estimates).
The table shows the ethnic composition of Uzbekistan's population (in percent) according to four population censuses between 1926 and 1989 (no population census was carried out in 1999, and the next census is now being planned for 2010). The increase in the percentage of Tajik from 3.9% of the population in 1979 to 4.7% in 1989 may be attributed, at least in part, to the change in census instructions: in the 1989 census for the first the nationality could be reported not according to the passport, but freely self-declared on the basis of the respondent's ethnic self-identification.
| Ethnic group |
census 19261 | census 19392 | census 19593 | census 19704 | census 19795 | census 19896 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Uzbeks Uzbeks The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China... |
3,467,226 | 73.0 | 4,804,096 | 65.1 | 5,038,273 | 62.2 | 7,733,541 | 64.7 | 10,569,007 | 68.7 | 14,142,475 | 71.4 |
| Russians Russians The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... |
245,807 | 5.2 | 727,331 | 11.6 | 1,090,728 | 13.5 | 1,495,556 | 12.5 | 1,665,658 | 10.8 | 1,653,478 | 8.4 |
| Tajiks Tajiks Tajik is a general designation for a wide range of Persian-speaking people of Iranic origin, with traditional homelands in present-day Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan... |
350,670 | 7.4 | 317,560 | 5.1 | 311,375 | 3.8 | 457,356 | 3.8 | 594,627 | 3.9 | 933,560 | 4.7 |
| Kazakhs Kazakhs The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia .... |
191,126 | 4.0 | 305,416 | 4.9 | 335,267 | 4.1 | 549,312 | 4.6 | 620,136 | 4.0 | 808,227 | 4.1 |
| Tatars Tatars Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,... |
28,335 | 0.6 | 147,157 | 2.3 | 397,981 | 4.9 | 442,331 | 3.7 | 531,205 | 3.5 | 467,829 | 2.4 |
| Karakalpaks Karakalpaks The Karakalpaks are a Turkic speaking people. They mainly live in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and in the delta of Amu Darya on the southern shore of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. The name "Karakalpak" comes from two words: "qara" meaning black, and "qalpaq" meaning hat... |
142,688 | 3.0 | 181,420 | 2.9 | 168,274 | 2.1 | 230,273 | 1.9 | 297,788 | 1.9 | 411,878 | 2.1 |
| Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language... |
46,829 | 0.6 | 135,426 | 1.1 | 117,559 | 0.8 | 188,772 | 1.0 | ||||
| Koreans | 30 | 0.0 | 72,944 | 1.2 | 138,453 | 1.7 | 151,058 | 1.3 | 163,062 | 1.1 | 183,140 | 0.9 |
| Kyrgyz | 79,610 | 1.7 | 89,044 | 1.4 | 92,725 | 1.1 | 110,864 | 1.0 | 142,182 | 0.7 | 174,907 | 0.8 |
| Ukrainians Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... |
25,335 | 0.5 | 70,577 | 1.1 | 87,927 | 1.1 | 114,979 | 1.0 | 113,826 | 0.7 | 153,197 | 0.8 |
| Turkmens | 31,492 | 0.7 | 46,543 | 0.7 | 54,804 | 0.7 | 71,066 | 0.6 | 92,285 | 0.6 | 121,578 | 0.6 |
| Turks | 371 | 0.0 | 474 | 0.0 | 21,269 | 0.3 | 46,398 | 0.4 | 48,726 | 0.3 | 106,302 | 0.5 |
| Jews Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation... |
37,621 | 0.8 | 50,676 | 0.8 | 94,303 | 1.2 | 102,843 | 0.9 | 99,836 | 0.7 | 94,689 | 0.5 |
| Armenians Armenians Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian.... |
14,862 | 0.3 | 20,394 | 0.3 | 27,370 | 0.3 | 34,470 | 0.3 | 42,374 | 0.3 | 50,537 | 0.3 |
| Azeris | 20,764 | 0.4 | 3,645 | 0.1 | 40,511 | 0.5 | 40,431 | 0.3 | 59,779 | 0.4 | 44,410 | 0.2 |
| Uyghurs | 36,349 | 0.8 | 50,638 | 0.8 | 19,377 | 0.2 | 24,039 | 0.2 | 29,104 | 0.2 | 35,762 | 0.2 |
| Bashkirs Bashkirs The Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of... |
624 | 0.0 | 7,516 | 0.1 | 13,500 | 0.2 | 21,069 | 0.2 | 25,879 | 0.2 | 34,771 | 0.2 |
| Others | 77,889 | 1.6 | 98,838 | 1.6 | 126,738 | 1.6 | 198,570 | 1.7 | 176,274 | 1.1 | 204,565 | 1.0 |
| Total | 4,750,175 | 6,271,269 | 8,105,704 | 11,959,582 | 15,389,307 | 19,810,077 | ||||||
| 1 Excluding the Tadzjik ASSR, but including the Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Oblast (in 1926 part of the Kazakh ASSR); source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_26.php?. 2 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_39.php. 3 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_59.php. 4 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_70.php. 5 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_79.php. 6 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_89.php. | ||||||||||||
Languages
According to the CIA factbook, the current language distribution is: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%.The Latin script replaced Cyrillic in the mid-1990s.Following independence, Uzbek was made the official state language. President Islam Karimov, the radical nationalist group Birlik (Unity), and the Uzbek Popular Front promoted this change. These parties believed that Uzbek would stimulate nationalism and the change itself was part of the process of de-Russification, which was meant to deprive Russian language and culture of any recognition. Birlik held campaigns in the late 1980s to achieve this goal, with one event in 1989 culminating in 12,000 people in Tashkent calling for official recognition of Uzbek as the state language. In 1995, the government adopted the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on State Language, which mandates that Uzbek be used in all public spheres and official jobs. Scholars studying migration and ethnic minorities have since critiqued the law as a source of discrimination toward minorities who do not speak Uzbek. Nevertheless, Russian remains the de facto language when it comes to science, inter-ethnic communication, business, and advertising.
Sources suggest that the Persian-speaking Tajik population of Uzbekistan may be as large as 25%-30% of the total population, but these estimates are based on unverifiable reports of "Tajiks around the country". The Tajik language is the dominant language spoken in the cities of Bukhara and Samarqand. The delineation of territory in 1924 and the process of “Uzbekification” caused many Tajiks to identify as Uzbek. Thus there are many Tajiks who speak Tajik but they are considered Uzbek.
Religions
There were 94,900 Jews in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
in 1989 (about 0.5% of the population according to the 1989 census), but fewer than 5,000 remained in 2007.
Due to high literacy rates and Soviet educational background, religious fundamentalism is not widespread in Uzbekistan; a study showed that only 35% of surveyed consider religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
as "very important".
See also: Islam in Uzbekistan
Islam in Uzbekistan
Islam is by far the dominant religion in Uzbekistan, as Muslims constitute 90% of the population while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity according to a 2009 US State Department release. However, a 2009 Pew Research Center report stated that Uzbekistan's population is 96.3%...
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
- For the latest statistics, see this country's entry in the CIA World Factbook
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook as of September 2009, unless otherwise indicated.
Age structure
0–14 years: 28.1% (male 3,970,386/female 3,787,371)15–64 years: 67% (male 9,191,439/female 9,309,791)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 576,191/female 770,829) (2009 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate
Total: 23.43 deaths/1,000 live birthsMale: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.96 yearsmale: 68.95 years
female: 75.15 years (2009 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99.3%
male: 99.6%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
Education
The educational system has achieved 99% literacy, and the mean amount of schooling for both men and women is 12 years. The government provides free and compulsory 12-year education.Migration
As of 2011, Uzbekistan has a net migration rate of -2.74 migrant(s)/ 1000 population.The process of migration changed after the fall of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet Union, passports facilitated movement throughout the fifteen republics and movement throughout the republics was relatively less expensive than it is today. An application for a labor abroad permit from a special department of the Uzbek Agency of External Labor Migration in Uzbekistan is required since 2003. The permit was originally not affordable to many Uzbeks and the process was critiqued for its bureaucracy. The same departments and agencies involved in creating this permit are consequently working to substantially reduce the costs as well as simplifying the procedure. On July 4, 2007, the Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov signed three agreements that would address labor activity and protection of the rights of the working migrants (this includes Russian citizens in Uzbekistan and Uzbek citizens in Russia) as well as cooperation in fighting undocumented immigration and the deportation of undocumented workers..
Uzbek Migration
Economic difficulties have increased labor migration to Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, the Republic of Korea, and Europe over the past decade. At least 10% of Uzbekistan’s labor force works abroad. Approximately 58% of the labor force that migrates, migrates to Russia. High unemployment rates and low wages are responsible for labor migration.
Migrants typically are people from the village, farmers, blue-collar workers, and students who are seeking work abroad. However, many migrants are not aware of the legal procedures required to leave the country, causing many to end up unregistered in Uzbekistan or the host country. Without proper registration, undocumented migrants are susceptible to underpayment, no social guarantees and bad treatment by employers. According to data from the Russian Federal Immigration Service, there were 102,658 officially registered labor migrants versus 1.5 million unregistered immigrants from Uzbekistan in Russia in 2006. The total remittances for both groups combined was approximately US $1.3 billion that same year, eight percent of Uzbekistan’s GDP.
Minorities
A significant number of ethnic and national minorities left Uzbekistan after the country became independent, but actual numbers are unknown. The primary reasons for migration by minorities include: few economic opportunities, a low standard of living, and a poor prospect for educational opportunities for future generations. Although Uzbekistan’s language law has been cited as a source of discrimination toward those who do not speak Uzbek, this law has intertwined with social, economic, and political factors that have led to migration as a solution to a lack of opportunities in Uzbekistan.
Russians, who constituted a primarily urban population made up half of the population of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, until the 1980s. Since then, the population has been gradually diminishing as many Russians have migrated to Russia. Nevertheless, Russian registration permits (propiska) constrain migration. The decision to migrate is complicated by the fact that many Russians or other minority groups who have a “homeland” may view Uzbekistan as the “motherland.” It is also complicated by the fact that these groups might not speak the national language of their “homeland” or may be registered under another nationality on their passports. Nonetheless, “native” embassies facilitate this migration. Approximately 200 visas are given out to Jews from the Israel embassy weekly.