Annual inflation in Uzbekistan rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.4% in September from 6.2% in August but remained below the 8% posted a year earlier, according to the national statistical committee.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.7% in September compared to 0.2% in August and 0.6% in September 2025. Since the beginning of 2026, consumer prices in the country of around 39mn have increased 4.2%, compared with the 5.1% gain seen from January to September last year.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages made the largest contribution to the monthly increase in consumer prices in September, adding 0.4 pp to the overall CPI. Education services and transport contributed 0.19 pp, while other categories accounted for 0.14 pp.

From the beginning of the year through September, housing services, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, together with food and transport, accounted for the largest share of cumulative inflation. The three categories accounted for 2.83 pp, or 67.9%, of the total inflationary impact, while other categories contributed 1.34 pp.

Goods prices increased 0.7% m/m in September and 6.2% y/y, driven by a 6.3% annual rise in food prices and a 5.8% increase in non-food prices. Services prices rose 0.9% m/m and 7% y/y. The latter figure was down sharply from the 14.9% seen a year ago.

Headline inflation reached 3% in clothing and footwear, 3.4% in health, 5.8% in information and communication, 7.5% in restaurants and accommodation services and 6.6% in household goods and miscellaneous services. Housing services, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded the highest annual increase among the major CPI categories at 11.8%.

Food prices increased 1% m/m in September and 6.3% y/y.

Education services recorded one of the largest monthly increases, rising 4.2% in September and 5.4% y/y. Fees at state preschool institutions increased 6.8%, while private kindergarten fees rose 1.7% and private school fees increased 6%. Tuition at state higher education institutions increased 6.3% with the start of the new academic year.

Transport prices increased 0.5% m/m in September and 7.2% y/y. Gasoline prices increased 1.2% over the month and 20.1% from September 2025. AI-92 gasoline rose 0.7% and AI-95 increased 4.2%, while AI-98 and AI-100 prices climbed 0.4% in the month.

Propane (LPG) prices increased 4.2% m/m and 48.9% y/y, while methane prices remained unchanged during the month but were 10.1% higher than a year earlier.

Passenger transport prices moved in the opposite direction. Long-distance train tickets became 1.6% cheaper in September but remained 11.6% more expensive than a year earlier. Airfares on observed routes fell 0.9% m/m and were 6.7% lower y/y.

Annual inflation varied relatively little across Uzbekistan’s regions. Tashkent City recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 7%, while Syrdarya recorded the lowest at 5.4%.

On a monthly basis, Surkhandarya recorded the highest increase at 0.99%, followed by Tashkent City at 0.82%, while Jizzakh recorded the lowest monthly increase at 0.66%.