Uzbekistan sees gas output drop while industry expands to $23bn

Uzbekistan’s industrial output grew by 8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, reaching UZS 289.3 trillion ($23bn), according to the Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan.

Between January and March, around 61,000 enterprises operated across the country. The highest industrial output was recorded in Navoi Region with UZS 73.5 trillion ($5.8bn), while the lowest was in Surkhandarya Region at UZS 3.8 trillion ($300mn).

The report shows a notable decline in extractive industries. Natural gas production fell to 9.6bn cubic meters, down by 1.7bn cubic meters (15%) compared to the same period last year. Oil production also slightly decreased to 157,300 tonnes, while coal output declined by 100,000 tonnes to 1.1mn tonnes.

At the same time, growth was observed in energy and fuel production. Electricity generation reached 22.93bn kWh, up from 21.9bn kWh a year earlier. Automobile gasoline output increased to 313,200 tonnes, compared to 304,300 tonnes in the first quarter of 2025.

The strongest growth was recorded in diesel production, which rose by nearly 55% year-on-year to 280,900 tonnes, up from 182,000 tonnes.

The automotive sector also expanded. Uzbekistan produced 108,769 passenger cars in the first quarter, an increase of 11,495 units compared to the same period last year. The most produced model remained the Cobalt with 38,397 units, followed by Damas (21,503), Tracker (10,746), and Onix (8,950).

Production also included 7,105 Kia vehicles and 5,111 BYD cars. Among major models, only Damas and Onix saw declines in output, while other models recorded growth.