Tajikistan

total: 6,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

state-run TV broadcasters transmit nationally on 9 TV and 10 radio stations, and regionally on 4 stations; 31 independent TV and 20 radio stations broadcast locally and regionally; many households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite (2016)

.tj

total: 3,009,054 (2022 est.) percent of population: 30.4% (2022 est.)

general assessment: the size of Tajikistan s mobile market dwarfs the fixed line segment, with an estimated penetration rate of nearly 120%; with a number of private sector companies active in the mobile market, there been more commitment to investment in network upgrades and expansion; three MNOs have all launched commercial 5G services, initially in areas of the capital city Dushanbe; the move towards higher speed mobile services should further underpin the growth in the nascent mobile broadband market, which is still estimated to be at a relatively low penetration level of 42% (at least relative to most other Asian nations) but is predicted to be a strong compound annual growth rate of more than 8% for at least the next five years; the ICT ecosystem is a complex mix of foreign operators from the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, state-owned enterprises, and telecom systems established by donors and non-governmental organizations (2024) domestic: fixed-line over 5 per 100 and mobile-cellular over 119 per 100 (2022) international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); 3 satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita

total subscriptions: 502,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions: 11.584 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)

milk, potatoes, wheat, watermelons, onions, cotton, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, vegetables, beef (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $2.268 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $1.145 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Moody's rating: B3 (2017) Standard & Poors rating: B- (2017) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

$584.022 million (2023 est.) $1.635 billion (2022 est.) $735.526 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

lower middle-income Central Asian economy; key gold, cotton, and aluminum exporter; declining poverty; sustained high growth; very limited private sector; substantial illicit drug trade; significant remittances; environmentally fragile

Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar - 10.845 (2023 est.) 11.031 (2022 est.) 11.309 (2021 est.) 10.322 (2020 est.) 9.53 (2019 est.)

$2.105 billion (2023 est.) $1.753 billion (2022 est.) $2.161 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, precious metal ore, cotton, copper ore, aluminum (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Kazakhstan 20%, Switzerland 19%, China 17%, Turkey 8%, Uzbekistan 8% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$12.061 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 87.6% (2022 est.) government consumption: 10.1% (2022 est.) investment in fixed capital: 31.7% (2022 est.) investment in inventories: 3.8% (2022 est.) exports of goods and services: 16.4% (2022 est.) imports of goods and services: -49.1% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 22.9% (2022 est.) industry: 34.7% (2022 est.) services: 34.1% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

34 (2015 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 3% (2015 est.) highest 10%: 26.4% (2015 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$5.931 billion (2023 est.) $5.261 billion (2022 est.) $4.258 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, garments, wheat, cars, natural gas (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 33%, Russia 22%, Kazakhstan 13%, Uzbekistan 6%, Turkey 6% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

9.26% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

aluminum, cement, coal, gold, silver, antimony, textile, vegetable oil

7.7% (2019 est.) 3.9% (2018 est.) 7.3% (2017 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

2.677 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

22.5% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

50.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

$46.467 billion (2023 est.) $42.905 billion (2022 est.) $39.727 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

8.3% (2023 est.) 8% (2022 est.) 9.4% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$4,600 (2023 est.) $4,300 (2022 est.) $4,100 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

38.42% of GDP (2023 est.) 49.9% of GDP (2022 est.) 32.69% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$3.847 billion (2022 est.) $2.499 billion (2021 est.) $2.238 billion (2020 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

10.34% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

6.98% (2023 est.) 6.98% (2022 est.) 7.25% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 16.9% (2023 est.) male: 19.5% (2023 est.) female: 13.2% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

8.324 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 4.982 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 3.174 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

production: 2.175 million metric tons (2022 est.) consumption: 2.245 million metric tons (2022 est.) exports: 2,000 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 105,000 metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 4.075 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 5.993 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 14.32 billion kWh (2022 est.) exports: 3.051 billion kWh (2022 est.) imports: 883 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 4.399 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 99% electrification - rural areas: 100%

fossil fuels: 10.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 89.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

16.255 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

production: 18.476 million cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 85.567 million cubic meters (2022 est.) imports: 65.997 million cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 28,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 12 million barrels (2021 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 53.65 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 5.31 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 4.87 megatons (2020 est.)

mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

areas of high air pollution from motor vehicles and industry; water pollution from agricultural runoff and disposal of untreated industrial waste and sewage; poor management of water resources; soil erosion; increasing levels of soil salinity

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 34.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 6.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 27.7% (2018 est.) forest: 2.9% (2018 est.) other: 62.4% (2018 est.)

Syr Darya (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) - 3,078 km; Amu Darya river source (shared with Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), (Aral Sea Basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km), Syr Darya (782,617 sq km)

0.54% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.12% of GDP (2018 est.)

21.91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal: 910 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 1.61 billion cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 7.38 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

urban population: 28.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,787,400 tons (2013 est.)

total : 144,100 sq km land: 141,510 sq km water: 2,590 sq km

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

0 km (landlocked)

highest point: Qullai Somoniyon 7,495 m lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m mean elevation: 3,186 m

39 00 N, 71 00 E

landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR

5,690 sq km (2020)

total: 4,130 km border countries (4): Afghanistan 1,357 km; China 477 km; Kyrgyzstan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1,312 km

agricultural land: 34.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 6.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 27.7% (2018 est.) forest: 2.9% (2018 est.) other: 62.4% (2018 est.)

Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan

Syr Darya (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) - 3,078 km; Amu Darya river source (shared with Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), (Aral Sea Basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km), Syr Darya (782,617 sq km)

Asia

none (landlocked)

earthquakes; floods

hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

mountainous region dominated by the Alay Mountains in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofirnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor), 1 capital region** (viloyati poytakht), and 1 area referred to as Districts Under Republic Administration***; Dushanbe**, Khatlon (Bokhtar), Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan]* (Khorugh), Nohiyahoi Tobei Jumhuri***, Sughd (Khujand) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

name: Dushanbe geographic coordinates: 38 33 N, 68 46 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: today's city was originally at the crossroads where a large bazaar occurred on Mondays, hence the name Dushanbe, which in Persian means Monday, i.e., the second day ( du ) after Saturday ( shambe )

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tajikistan dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years or 3 years of continuous residence prior to application

history: several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by at least one third of the total membership of both houses of the Supreme Assembly; adoption of any amendment requires a referendum, which includes approval of the president or approval by at least two-thirds majority of the Assembly of Representatives; passage in a referendum requires participation of an absolute majority of eligible voters and an absolute majority of votes; constitutional articles, including Tajikistan s form of government, its territory, and its democratic nature, cannot be amended; amended 1999, 2003, 2016

conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston local short form: Tojikiston former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic etymology: the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Tajikistan literally means "Land of the Tajik [people]"

chief of mission: Ambassador Manuel P. MICALLER Jr. (since 9 March 2023) embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue (Zarafshon district), Dushanbe 734019 mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Washington DC 20521-7090 telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00 FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50 email address and website: DushanbeConsular@state.gov https://tj.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador Farrukh HAMRALIZODA (since 17 February 2021) chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090 FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091 email address and website: tajemus@mfa.tj https://mfa.tj/en/washington

chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly Chairman since 19 November 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (two-term limit); however, as the "Leader of the Nation" President RAHMON can run an unlimited number of times; election last held on 11 October 2020 (next to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president election results: 2020 : Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 92.1%, Rustam LATIFZODA (APT) 3.1%, and other 4.8% 2013: Emomali RAHMOND reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMOND (PDPT) 84%, Ismoil TALBAKOV CPT) 5%, other 11%

three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic number "seven" - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness

presidential republic

9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairmen, and 34 judges organized into civil, family, criminal, administrative offense, and military chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of the court chairman, deputy chairman, and 5 judges); High Economic Court (consists of 16 judicial positions) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and High Economic Court judges nominated by the president and approved by the National Assembly; judges of all 3 courts appointed for 10-year renewable terms with no term limits, but the last appointment must occur before the age of 65 subordinate courts: regional and district courts; Dushanbe City Court; viloyat (province level) courts; Court of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

civil law system

description: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of: National Assembly or Majlisi Milli (34 seats; 25 members indirectly elected by local representative assemblies or majlisi, 8 appointed by the president, and 1 reserved for each living former president; members serve 5-year terms) Assembly of Representatives or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by 2-round absolute majority vote and 22 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held on 1 March 2020 (next to be held in 2025) Assembly of Representatives - last held on 1 March 2020 (next to be held in 2025) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDPT 47, APT 7, PERT 5, CPT 2, DPT1, SPT 1; composition - men 19, women 6, percentage women 24% Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 50.4%, PERT 16.6%, APT 16.5%, SPT 5.2%, DPT 5.1%, CPT 3.1%, other 3.1%; seats by party - PDPT 47, APT 7, PERT 5, CPT 2, SPT 1, DPT 1; composition - men 48, women 15, percentage women 23.8%; total Supreme Assembly percentage women 27%

name: "Surudi milli" (National Anthem) lyrics/music: Gulnazar KELDI/Sulaimon YUDAKOV note: adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics

total World Heritage Sites: 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Proto-urban Site of Sarazm (c); Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs) (n); Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c); Tugay forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve (n)

Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

crown surmounted by an arc of seven, five-pointed stars; snow leopard; national colors: red, white, green

Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT Democratic Party of Tajikistan or DPT Party of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERT People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPT Socialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT

18 years of age; universal

The Tajik people came under Russian imperial rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. At that time, bands of indigenous guerrillas (known as "basmachi") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first established as an autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924, but in 1929 the Soviet Union made Tajikistan as a separate republic and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd Province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan, and ethnic Tajiks an even larger minority in Uzbekistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the country experienced a civil war among political, regional, and religious factions from 1992 to 1997. Despite Tajikistan's general elections for both the presidency (once every seven years) and legislature (once every five years), observers note an electoral system rife with irregularities and abuse, and results that are neither free nor fair. President Emomali RAHMON, who came to power in 1992 during the civil war and was first elected president in 1994, used an attack planned by a disaffected deputy defense minister in 2015 to ban the last major opposition party in Tajikistan. RAHMON further strengthened his position by having himself declared "Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation," with limitless terms and lifelong immunity through constitutional amendments ratified in a referendum. The referendum also lowered the minimum age required to run for president from 35 to 30, which made RAHMON's first-born son Rustam EMOMALI, the mayor of the capital city of Dushanbe, eligible to run for president in 2020. RAHMON orchestrated EMOMALI's selection in 2020 as chairman of the Majlisi Milli (the upper chamber of Tajikistan's parliament), positioning EMOMALI as next in line of succession for the presidency. RAHMON opted to run in the presidential election later that year and received 91% of the vote. The country remains the poorest of the former Soviet republics. Tajikistan became a member of the WTO in 2013, but its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistani migrant laborers in Russia and Kazakhstan, pervasive corruption, the opiate trade, and destabilizing violence emanating from neighboring Afghanistan. Tajikistan has endured several domestic security incidents since 2010, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and informal leaders in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. Tajikistan suffered its first ISIS-claimed attack in 2018, when assailants attacked a group of Western bicyclists, killing four. Friction between forces on the border between Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic flared up in 2021, culminating in fatal clashes between border forces in 2021 and 2022.

the military's primary concerns are terrorism, border security, territorial defense, and instability in neighboring countries; Russia is Tajikistan s primary security partner and thousands of Russian troops are stationed in the country, primarily at the 201st military base, which is leased until at least 2042; Russia and Tajikistan have a joint air defense system and they conduct periodic joint exercises; Tajikistan has been a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and contributes troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force Tajikistan is the only former Soviet republic that did not form its armed forces from old Soviet Army units following the collapse of the USSR in 1991; rather, Russia retained command of the Soviet units there while the Tajik government raised a military from scratch; the first ground forces were officially created in 1993 from groups that fought for the government during the Tajik Civil War (2023)

Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: Land Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops (reserves for Armed Forces in wartime), police State Committee on National Security: Border Guard Forces (2023) note: the National Guard, formerly the Presidential Guard, is tasked with ensuring public safety and security, similar to the tasks of the Internal Troops; it also takes part in ceremonial duties

approximately 10,000 active-duty troops (8,000 Land and Mobile Forces; 2,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2023)

the military's inventory is comprised mostly of older Russian and Soviet-era weapons and equipment; it also has smaller amounts of items from suppliers such as China, Turkey, and the US; in 2022, Tajikistan opened a plant to produce an Iranian-designed unmanned aerial vehicle under license (2024)

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 1% of GDP (2020 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

18-27 years of age for compulsory (men only) or voluntary (men and women) military service; 24-month conscript service obligation (2023) note: in August 2021, the Tajik Government removed an exemption for university graduates but began allowing men to pay a fee in order to avoid conscription, although there is a cap on the number of individuals who can take advantage of this exemption

0-14 years: 36.9% (male 1,953,472/female 1,877,192) 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 3,086,964/female 3,071,642) 65 years and over: 3.9% (2024 est.) (male 181,382/female 223,411)

total: 0.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

25.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

women married by age 15: 0.1% women married by age 18: 8.7% (2017 est.)

7.6% (2017)

29.3% (2017)

8.2% of GDP (2020)

72% (2023 est.)

4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Tajikistan has a youthful age structure with almost 50% of the population under the age of 25. As a Soviet republic, Tajikistan had the highest fertility rate in the Soviet Union. The total fertility rate the average number of births per woman was highest in the mid-1970s, when it reached 6.3. In an effort to expand populations to meet economic goals, the Soviets provided resources that made large families affordable. The fertility rate decreased to 5 by the time of independence in 1991 and continued to decline thereafter. In 1996, the Tajik Government discontinued subsidies for large families and having several children became too expensive. The loss of subsidies, the 5-year civil war that followed independence, and other factors caused fertility to continue to fall steadily, but it remains above replacement level at 2.5. The availability of healthcare providers and family planning services is limited, contributing to couples having more children than they would like. As of 2017, 21% of women were using contraceptives. Tajikistan s ethnic make-up changed with the Soviet s introduction of industrialization. Large numbers of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants arrived in the mid-1920s. Some were forced to immigrate while others came voluntarily to work in the cotton industry and in Tajikistan s Soviet Government. The Russian and Ukrainian immigrants formed urban communities, while Tajiks and Uzbeks continued to live predominantly in rural areas. In addition, thousands of Tatars and Germans were deported to Tajikistan, accused of Nazi complicity during WWII. Tajikistan s ethnic composition was later shaped by the post-independence civil war from 1992-1997 and the economic devastation that followed. Most non-Tajik ethnic groups, including Uzbeks, Russians, Kyrgyz, and Ukrainians, fled to Russia and other former Soviet republics and many never returned, making the country overwhelming Tajik; approximately 80% of the population was Tajik by 2000. Since the mid-1990s, labor has probably been Tajikistan s main export. Remittances accounted for 30% of GDP in 2018 and are Tajikistan s largest source of external income. Poverty, a lack of jobs, and higher wages abroad push Tajiks to emigrate. Russia particularly Moscow is the main destination, while a smaller number of religious Muslims, usually of Uzbek ancestry, migrate to Uzbekistan. The vast majority of labor migrants are unskilled or low-skilled young men who work primarily in construction but also agriculture, transportation, and retail. Many Tajik families are dependent on the money they send home for necessities, such as food and clothing, as well as for education and weddings rather than investment.

total dependency ratio: 65.9 youth dependency ratio: 60.4 elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 potential support ratio: 18.1 (2021 est.)

improved: urban: 96.5% of population rural: 79.9% of population total: 84.4% of population unimproved: urban: 3.5% of population rural: 20.1% of population total: 15.6% of population (2020 est.)

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Tajik 84.3% (includes Pamiri and Yagnobi), Uzbek 13.8%, other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2014 est.)

1.73 (2024 est.)

4.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)

total: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Tajik (official) 84.4%, Uzbek 11.9%, Kyrgyz 0.8%, Russian 0.5%, other 2.4% (2010 est.) major-language sample(s): Китоби Фактҳои Ҷаҳонӣ, манбаи бебадали маълумоти асосӣ (Tajik) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: Russian widely used in government and business

total population: 71.9 years (2024 est.) male: 70.1 years female: 73.8 years

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.7% (2015)

987,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2023)

17 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

total: 22.8 years (2024 est.) male: 22.3 years female: 23.2 years

23.2 years (2017 est.)

noun: Tajikistani(s) adjective: Tajikistani

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

14.2% (2016)

1.72 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

total: 10,394,063 male: 5,221,818 female: 5,172,245 (2024 est.)

the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

1.92% (2024 est.)

Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)

improved: urban: 98.9% of population rural: 99.6% of population total: 99.4% of population unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population rural: 0.4% of population total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

total: 11 years male: 12 years female: 11 years (2013)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)

urban population: 28.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note 1: US-designated foreign terrorist groups such as the Islamic Jihad Union, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province have operated in the area where the Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik borders converge and ill-defined and porous borders allow for the relatively free movement of people and illicit goods note 2: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Tajikistan is a primary transit country along the Northern Route for Afghanistan-sourced opiates and cannabis for the Russian and Eastern European markets and beyond; minimal domestic recreational drug use though it is increasing

refugees (country of origin): 6,775 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2021) stateless persons: 4,898 (2022)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Tajikistan was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/tajikistan/

19 (2024)

EY

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 492,320 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2.34 million (2018) mt-km

549 km gas, 38 km oil (2013)

total: 680 km (2014) broad gauge: 680 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

total: 30,000 km (2018)

200 km (2011) (along Vakhsh River)