BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The number of
operating enterprises and organizations in Uzbekistan reached
601,276 as of August 1, 2026, reflecting continued expansion of the
country's business base and a rebound in entrepreneurial activity
after a decline in the number of operating businesses in previous
years.


This was reflected in the statement by the National Statistics
Committee of Uzbekistan.


The data were presented by Uzbekistan's National Statistics
Committee. The number of operating enterprises and organizations
has been rising through 2026, reaching 577,200 as of April 1 and
580,900 as of May 1, according to earlier committee data.


The largest number of operating entities was recorded in trade,
with 164,481 enterprises, followed by agriculture, forestry and
fisheries with 131,925, industry with 63,861 and construction with
33,463. Other major categories included services, accommodation and
food services, information and communications, and health care and
social services.


Trend's analysis
shows that trade remains the largest area of business activity in
Uzbekistan, accounting for roughly 27.4% of all operating
enterprises and organizations as of August 1. Agriculture, forestry
and fisheries represented about 22%, while industry accounted for
around 10.6%. The concentration in these sectors reflects the
continued importance of domestic commerce, agricultural activity
and industrial production in the country's private-sector
landscape.


Trend's calculations show that the number of operating
enterprises and organizations increased from 556,010 in 2025 to
601,276 in 2026, an increase of approximately 45,300 entities, or
8.1%. This marks a notable improvement after the number of
operating businesses fell sharply between 2022 and 2023 before
beginning to recover.







The structure of Uzbekistan's business sector is also dominated
by smaller companies. According to the committee's data, 440,949
entities were classified as small businesses, accounting for
approximately 73.3% of the total number of operating enterprises
and organizations. This confirms the central role of small
businesses and microfirms in the country's entrepreneurial
ecosystem. Earlier official data similarly showed small enterprises
and microfirms accounting for 72.3% of operating enterprises as of
April 2026.


Regional concentration remains significant. Tashkent city
accounted for about 17.7% of all operating enterprises, followed by
Samarkand region at 9.2%, Fergana region at 8.4% and Kashkadarya
region at 7.7%. The capital therefore continues to have a
substantial lead over individual regions, reflecting its role as
Uzbekistan's main commercial, financial and services hub.


The increase in the number of operating businesses is occurring
alongside a broadening of economic activity beyond traditional
sectors. While trade and agriculture account for the largest
numbers of enterprises, the presence of more than 63,000 industrial
businesses and over 33,000 construction entities indicates a
sizeable entrepreneurial base supporting Uzbekistan's
industrialization and infrastructure expansion.


In Trend's assessment, the rise to more than 600,000 operating
enterprises is a positive indicator for Uzbekistan's private-sector
development. However, the continued concentration of businesses in
Tashkent and several major regions suggests that further regional
diversification could become an important part of the country's
efforts to spread investment, employment and entrepreneurial
activity more evenly across the economy.