The key facts
- The National Statistics Committee has for the first time published the median wage for 9 months of 2026 — 4.2 million sums.
- The average wage grew by 18% and reached 7.3 million sums, but varies widely by region and sector.
- The median shows that half of workers earn less than 4.2 million sums, which is below the average figure due to the high incomes of a narrow group.
First calculation of the median wage in Uzbekistan
The National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan has for the first time published data on the median wage for the period from January to September 2026. According to the agency's experimental calculations, the median wage across the republic amounted to 4,166,300 sums, while the average nominal wage for the same period reached 7,274,100 sums, 18% higher than the figure for the same period of 2025. The difference between these indicators is explained by the methodology: the average wage is calculated as the sum of all payments divided by the number of employees, which makes it sensitive to the high incomes of a small group of staff, whereas the median reflects the income level below which exactly half of working citizens receive their wage.
Regional and sectoral differences
An analysis of the data by region shows a significant gap in incomes: in Tashkent the average wage reached 12,300,800 sums, which is more than twice the figures in the regions with the lowest incomes, such as Kashkadarya (4,969,700 sums) and Surkhandarya (4,988,900 sums) regions. By sector, the highest payments were recorded in banking, insurance and leasing (19,712,600 sums), as well as in information and communications (17,006,900 sums). The lowest average wage is observed in healthcare and social services (4,454,200 sums) and education (5,015,200 sums). It is important to note that the published median data broken down by sector and region are not detailed in the current release, although the calculation method itself was applied to the nationwide indicator.
The significance of the new indicators for assessing living standards
The introduction of the median indicator makes it possible to adjust the picture of the real income level of the population, which was previously formed solely on the basis of the average wage, often inflated by the high incomes of top management and a narrow circle of specialists. As the National Statistics Committee explains, if in a company of five people four earn between 3 and 6 million sums and one earns 22 million, the average wage will be 8 million, which does not reflect the situation for most employees, whereas the median will show 5 million. This methodological change, previously reported as experimental, is now recorded in official statistics, giving a more accurate picture of income distribution, in which half of working people earn less than 4.2 million sums.
