Tajikistan

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.

land

141,510 sq km

total

144,100 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)

border countries

Afghanistan 1,357 km; China 477 km; Kyrgyzstan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1,312 km

total

4,130 km

agricultural land

34.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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 kmnote – [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

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)

beer

0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 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.

elderly dependency ratio

5.5

potential support ratio

18.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

65.9

youth dependency ratio

60.4

improved: rural

rural: 79.9% of population

improved: total

total: 84.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 20.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 15.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.5% of population

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)

female

18.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

24.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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

note: Russian widely used in government and business

female

73.8 years

male

70.1 years

total population

71.9 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.7% (2015)

male

99.8%

total population

99.8%

987,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2023)

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

female

23.2 years

male

22.3 years

total

22.8 years (2024 est.)

23.2 years (2017 est.)

adjective

Tajikistani

noun

Tajikistani(s)

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

14.2% (2016)

1.72 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

female

5,172,245 (2024 est.)

male

5,221,818

total

10,394,063

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: rural

rural: 99.6% of population

improved: total

total: 99.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.1% of population

female

11 years (2013)

male

12 years

total

11 years

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

28.2% of total population (2023)

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

note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

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)

geographic coordinates

38 33 N, 68 46 E

name

Dushanbe

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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

history

several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994

conventional long form

Republic of Tajikistan

conventional short form

Tajikistan

etymology

the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Tajikistan literally means "Land of the Tajik [people]"

former

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Jumhurii Tojikiston

local short form

Tojikiston

chief of mission

Ambassador Manuel P. MICALLER Jr. (since 9 March 2023)

email address and website

DushanbeConsular@state.govhttps://tj.usembassy.gov/

embassy

109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue (Zarafshon district), Dushanbe 734019

FAX

[992] (37) 229-20-50

mailing address

7090 Dushanbe Place, Washington DC  20521-7090

telephone

[992] (37) 229-20-00

chancery

1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Farrukh HAMRALIZODA (since 17 February 2021)

email address and website

tajemus@mfa.tjhttps://mfa.tj/en/washington

FAX

[1] (202) 223-6091

telephone

[1] (202) 223-6090

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly

chief of state

President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly Chairman since 19 November 1992)

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%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013)

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)

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%

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)

lyrics/music

Gulnazar KELDI/Sulaimon YUDAKOV

name

"Surudi milli" (National Anthem)

note

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

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)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (2 cultural, 2 natural)

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 APTCommunist Party of Tajikistan or CPTDemocratic Party of Tajikistan or DPTParty of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERTPeople's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPTSocial Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPTSocialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT

18 years of age; universal

milk, potatoes, wheat, watermelons, onions, cotton, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, vegetables, beef (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

expenditures

$1.145 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$2.268 billion (2022 est.)

Moody's rating

B3 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2017)

Current account balance 2021

$735.526 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$1.635 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$584.022 million (2023 est.)

note

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

Currency

Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

9.53 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

10.322 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

11.309 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

11.031 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

10.845 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$2.161 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.753 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$2.105 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, precious metal ore, cotton, copper ore, aluminum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Kazakhstan 20%, Switzerland 19%, China 17%, Turkey 8%, Uzbekistan 8% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

16.4% (2022 est.)

government consumption

10.1% (2022 est.)

household consumption

87.6% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-49.1% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

31.7% (2022 est.)

investment in inventories

3.8% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

22.9% (2022 est.)

industry

34.7% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

34.1% (2022 est.)

$12.061 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015

34 (2015 est.)

note

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

highest 10%

26.4% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

3% (2015 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2021

$4.258 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2022

$5.261 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$5.931 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, garments, wheat, cars, natural gas (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 33%, Russia 22%, Kazakhstan 13%, Uzbekistan 6%, Turkey 6% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

9.26% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

7.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

3.9% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

7.7% (2019 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

2.677 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

22.5% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

50.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$39.727 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$42.905 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$46.467 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

9.4% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

8.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$4,100 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$4,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$4,600 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

32.69% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

49.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

38.42% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$2.238 billion (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$2.499 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$3.847 billion (2022 est.)

10.34% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.25% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

6.98% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.98% (2023 est.)

female

13.2% (2023 est.)

male

19.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

16.9% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

4.982 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.174 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

8.324 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

2.245 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

2,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

105,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

2.175 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

4.075 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

14.32 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

3.051 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

883 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

5.993 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.399 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99%

fossil fuels

10.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

89.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

16.255 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

85.567 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

65.997 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

18.476 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

12 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

28,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

300 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

6,000 (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

percent of population

30.4% (2022 est.)

total

3,009,054 (2022 est.)

domestic

fixed-line over 5 per 100 and mobile-cellular over 119 per 100 (2022)

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)

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

502,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

119 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

11.584 million (2021 est.)

19 (2024)

EY

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

2.34 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

492,320 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

6

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

549 km gas, 38 km oil (2013)

broad gauge

680 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

total

680 km (2014)

total

30,000 km (2018)

200 km (2011) (along Vakhsh River)

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 forceTajikistan 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 GuardMinistry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops (reserves for Armed Forces in wartime), policeState Committee on National Security: Border Guard Forces (2023)

note

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)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-27 years of age for compulsory (men only) or voluntary (men and women) military service; 24-month conscript service obligation (2023)

note

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

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/

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

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

carbon dioxide emissions

5.31 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

4.87 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

53.65 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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 kmnote – [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.)

agricultural

7.38 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.61 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

910 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

28.2% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,787,400 tons (2013 est.)