Despite a decline in the annual inflation rate, Uzbekistan experienced a sharp rise in monthly inflation in May, according to a recent report from the Statistics Committee.
The monthly inflation rate hit 1.5% in May — the highest month-on-month increase recorded in the past year. Meanwhile, the annual inflation rate eased to 8.7%, down from 10.1% in April.
The inflationary pressures in May were driven by rising prices for non-food items and services. Food prices actually decreased by 0.8%, while non-food prices rose by 1.7%. Service prices surged by 5.9%, largely due to higher tariffs in the utilities sector.
The fastest inflation growth was seen in the Fergana and Khorezm regions, as well as in Karakalpakstan. Annual inflation in May also remained above the national average in Kashkadarya, Fergana, and Khorezm regions, along with the city of Tashkent.
Significant increases in electricity and gas prices contributed heavily to the inflation spike. Since May 2025, electricity tariffs rose by 18.8%, and gas prices surged by 39.2%. Methane prices increased by 27%, and liquefied gas tariffs for households went up by 25% within just one month.
In contrast, prices for gasoline and propane saw a slight decline of 0.1 to 2.7%. Transportation services showed mixed trends: road transport prices grew by 2.4%, rail transport by 0.1%, while air passenger transport prices dropped by 5.4% due to reduced economy-class fares on domestic Uzbekistan Airways flights.
Mobile communication services became 2.9% more expensive in May.
In the food category, prices varied widely among vegetables. Cucumbers fell sharply by 61.1%, tomatoes by 27.1%, cabbage by 14%, potatoes by 1.9%, and onions by 1.2%. However, carrots became 15% more expensive. Vegetable oil prices rose by 4%, and sugar by 2.2%.
Meat prices saw slight increases: beef and mutton by 0.8%, poultry by 0.3 to 0.5%. Meanwhile, prices for eggs fell by 4%, rice by 0.5 percent, and raw milk by 0.2%.
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