Internet usage in Uzbekistan reaches record high: 97.3% of the population is online
Internet usage in Uzbekistan has increased sharply over the past five years. In January–August 2026, 97.3% of the population aged 10 and older used the internet. In 2021, this figure was 76.6%. Thus, the share of the internet audience has grown by 20.7 percentage points within five years.
This figure shows that in Uzbekistan, the internet is no longer just a technology used by youth or urban residents, but has become one of the core tools integrated into the daily lives of the absolute majority of the population.
The data was compiled based on household sample surveys conducted by the National Statistics Committee.
From 76.6% to 97.3% in 5 years
The change in the level of internet usage is especially evident in the dynamics of recent years.
According to data provided by the National Statistics Committee:
Year | Share of population aged 10 and older using the internet |
|---|---|
2021 | 76.6 % |
2022 | 83.9 % |
2023 | 89.0 % |
2024 | 93.3 % |
2025 | 94.6 % |
2026, January–August | 97.3 % |
Looking at the figures, the level of internet usage has grown every year.
While in 2021 approximately one in four people did not use the internet, by 2026 this gap has dramatically narrowed.
When was the largest growth observed?
In 2021, the share of internet users stood at 76.6%.
In 2022, this figure reached 83.9%. This means a growth of 7.3 percentage points in one year.
In 2023, the internet audience expanded further, reaching 89%.
In 2024, a figure of 93.3% was recorded.
In 2025, the growth rate slowed slightly, with the figure settling at 94.6%.
However, already in the first eight months of 2026, the share of internet users rose to 97.3%.
Thus, over the five-year period, the growth amounted to 20.7 percentage points.
What does the 97.3% figure mean?
It is easy to accept this number as mere statistics.
However, viewed from the perspective of people's lives, the picture is much more interesting.
In an environment where almost everyone aged 10 and older uses the internet, public services, education, banking, commerce, obtaining information, and communication processes are increasingly shifting to a digital format.
In other words, reaching 97.3% internet usage means that a massive audience has formed for the digital economy.
The internet is no longer just a source of information
While previously the internet was mainly understood as reading news, using social networks, or watching videos, today its functions have expanded significantly.
Through the online environment, people:
access public services;
perform banking operations;
order goods and services;
receive remote education;
search for job and service opportunities;
make electronic payments;
receive news and information;
communicate with loved ones.
Therefore, reaching a 97.3% internet audience is also an important milestone for the country's digital services market.
Since 2021, the internet audience has expanded by nearly a quarter
From a statistical standpoint, another aspect is noteworthy.
In 2021, 76.6% of the population aged 10 and older used the internet.
In January–August 2026, this figure reached 97.3%.
The difference is 20.7 percentage points.
This demonstrates how rapidly internet usage is popularizing nationwide.
Especially after 2023, approaching the 90% threshold means that the role of the digital environment in people's lives has grown even stronger.
How close is the 100% threshold?
According to the January–August 2026 results, the level of internet usage is 97.3%.
Consequently, statistically speaking, 2.7 percentage points remain until the 100% mark.
Of course, reaching 100% does not automatically mean that all citizens use the internet to the same extent and for the same purposes.
Depending on factors such as age, place of residence, income, digital literacy, and infrastructure, the forms and opportunities of internet usage may vary.
Therefore, the main task in the next phase will not be connecting to the internet, but rather expanding opportunities for its effective and safe use.
A new stage for Digital Uzbekistan
Reaching a 97.3% internet audience could mark the beginning of a new phase for the digitalization process in Uzbekistan.
Since almost the entire population has entered the online environment, the demand for the quality, speed, and security of digital services will also increase.
If a citizen can obtain a public service online, not only the mere availability of the service matters, but also its convenience and speed.
As online banking services expand, issues of cybersecurity and financial literacy become increasingly relevant.
As education shifts more toward digital platforms, the need for quality content and digital skills grows.
In this sense, the 97.3% figure is not the end of the process, but a number indicating the beginning of the next phase of a digital society.
How is Uzbekistan's internet map changing?
The dynamics of the past five years clearly show one thing: internet usage has rapidly popularized in the country.
2021 — 76.6%.
2022 — 83.9%.
2023 — 89%.
2024 — 93.3%.
2025 — 94.6%.
January–August 2026 — 97.3%.
These numbers show that what was once considered the "digital divide" is gradually transitioning to another stage.
Now the main question is shifting from "who uses the internet?" to "how and how effectively is the internet being used?"
Final figure
Between 2021 and 2026, the share of internet usage among the population aged 10 and older in Uzbekistan increased by 20.7 percentage points, reaching 97.3%.
This demonstrates that the internet is no longer just a separate technology in the country's lifestyle, economy, public services, and information environment, but is becoming an integral part of everyday infrastructure.
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