Uzbekistan has seen a sharp rise in cash demand during the first half of 2025, with the total volume of cash circulation increasing by 23% compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the Central Bank.

Between January and June, cash turnover through banks reached UZS 563 trillion ($44bn), consisting of UZS 277 trillion ($21.8bn) in cash receipts and UZS 286 trillion ($22.4bn) in disbursements.
The structure of cash inflows highlights the diversity of sources:
- 37% originated from banking services,
- 33% from the sale of goods,
- and 13% from paid services.
The rise in cash transactions coincided with a surge in digital deposits. In the same six-month period, UZS 676 trillion ($52.9bn) were deposited on bank cards — a 1.4-fold increase compared to the first half of 2024.
However, UZS 129 trillion ($10.1bn) — or 19% of the deposited amount — was withdrawn in cash. This marks a slight decline from 23% in the corresponding period last year, suggesting a modest shift toward digital transactions.
The Central Bank noted that seasonal factors drove up the demand for cash. To meet this demand, it issued an additional UZS 5.2 trillion ($406.7mn) into circulation during the first half of the year.
As of July 1, 2025, cash accounted for 18.9% of the total money supply, down 2.2 percentage points from a year earlier. The total money supply reached a record UZS 312.5 trillion ($24.6bn), the highest ever in Uzbekistan’s economic history. Out of this, UZS 59.1 trillion ($4.7bn) was in physical cash.
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