AGUACYCLE
Europe & Central Asia

Uzbekistan

Capital: Tashkent · Lower middle income · Pop. 36.4 million

81.93%
Safely managed drinking water
74.6%
Safely managed sanitation
468
m³ freshwater / person / yr
263%
Water stress · Extreme (over-extraction)

Source: World Bank Open Data (WHO/UNICEF JMP & FAO AQUASTAT) · drinking water 2024

In Uzbekistan, 81.93% of the population uses safely managed drinking water — an improved source, located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination (2024 estimate). That leaves roughly 6.6 million people without safely managed drinking water at home.

Sanitation tracks closely: 74.6% use safely managed sanitation services and 96.55% have at least a basic service (2024).

Uzbekistan has about 468 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater per person each year — below the ~1,000 m³ threshold widely used to define water scarcity. It withdraws the equivalent of 263% of those internal resources annually (extreme (over-extraction) water stress), meaning it relies on rivers from outside its borders, desalination, or drawing down stored reserves.

Agriculture accounts for about 92% of Uzbekistan's water withdrawals, the rest going to households and industry.

Common questions

How many people in Uzbekistan have safe drinking water?

81.93% of Uzbekistan's population uses safely managed drinking water (2024), per WHO/UNICEF data; about 6.6 million people do not.

Does Uzbekistan have enough freshwater?

Uzbekistan has roughly 468 m³ of renewable internal freshwater per person per year, and uses about 263% of it annually (extreme (over-extraction) stress).

Elsewhere in Europe & Central Asia