As of end of 2024, the number of labor migrants from Uzbekistan in foreign countries decreased to 1.35 million people. This figure was just over 2 million at the end of 2023, or 34% more.
These figures were announced on 17 January at a press conference of the Migration Agency, organized by the Agency of Information and Mass Communications, a Gazeta.uz correspondent reported.
This decline is the most significant in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of 2022, the number of Uzbekistanis working abroad was 2.1 million.
The most noticeable decrease was in labor migration to Russia, which remains a top destination. While 1.2 million migrants from Uzbekistan were working in this country at the end of 2023, this number dropped to 698,000 by the end of 2024.
The number of Uzbekistanis temporarily employed in Kazakhstangrew from 196,800 to 322,700 over the year. Türkiye is the top third destinations, though its share declined over the past year from 119,800 to 88,700 labor migrants from Uzbekistan.
At the same time, the Migration Agency noted the increasing trend of labor migrants returning home. This trend was first mentioned in July 2023 by former minister of employment and poverty reduction Behzod Musayev.
Last year, in January-October, about 115,000 labor migrants returned to Uzbekistan. It was expected that another 250,000−300,000 citizens would return by the end of the year. President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of their employment and providing assistance in resolving their social issues.
Regarding organized labor recruitment to work abroad, the numbers provided by the agency show a sharp increase in 2024. While 35,800 Uzbekistanis were officially employed abroad in 2022 and 38,400 in 2023, the number surged to 161,800 in 2024 — an increase of more than 4 times.
| Country | 2023 (people) | 2024 (people) |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 29,249 | 123,681 |
| South Korea | 4,882 | 10,120 |
| United Kingdom | 1,929 | 4,886 |
| Kazakhstan | 1,326 | 10,695 |
| Germany | 477 | 1,051 |
| Turkey | 227 | 2,731 |
| Japan | 90 | 269 |
| Romania | 54 | 20 |
| Lithuania | 48 | 474 |
| Bulgaria | 37 | 513 |
| UAE | 18 | 319 |
| Poland | 12 | 968 |
| Latvia | 10 | 446 |
| Belarus | - | 526 |
| Croatia | - | 353 |
| Slovakia | - | 197 |
| Serbia | - | 194 |
| Montenegro | - | 11 |
| Others | - | 4,348 |
In 2024, the Migration Agency for the first time conducted organized labor recruitment to Croatia, Belgium, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro and Qatar, employing a total of 10,000 Uzbekistan nationals in these countries.
According to the agency deputy director Azimjon Khusanov, negotiations were held in 2024 with 240 major employers from 36 countries, leading to cooperation agreements with 122 of them. The number of potential employers and recruitment agencies collaborating with the agency has reached 384.
“Last year, targeted training for candidates wishing to work abroad covered 62,300 persons, who were trained in professional skills and foreign languages,” he stated.
Explaining how the number of migrants was calculated, the agency representative Azim Akhmatov said: “Three months after an Uzbekistan citizen leaves the country, their information is directly recorded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Additionally, international migration trends are measured using three sources. The first is population census and surveys, the second is administrative databases and the third is border crossing records. These data are compiled to determine the final number”.
