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.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and Notes
Geography
Location
Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan
Geographic coordinates
39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area
total : 144,100 sq km
land: 141,510 sq km
water: 2,590 sq km
comparison ranking: total 96
Area – comparative
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries
total: 4,130 km
border countries (4): Afghanistan 1,357 km; China 477 km; Kyrgyzstan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1,312 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain
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
Elevation
highest point: Qullai Somoniyon 7,495 m
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
mean elevation: 3,186 m
Natural resources
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Land use
agricultural land: 28.1% (2022 est.)
arable land: 6% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 1.7% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.3% (2022 est.)
forest: 3.1% (2022 est.)
other: 68.9% (2022 est.)
Irrigated land
5,681 sq km (2022)
Major rivers (by length in km)
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 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
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)
Population distribution
the population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as many as 90% living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west
Natural hazards
earthquakes; floods
Geography – note
landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
People and Society
Population
total: 10,394,063 (2024 est.)
male: 5,221,818
female: 5,172,245
comparison rankings: total 91; female 92; male 91
Nationality
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups
Tajik 84.3% (includes Pamiri and Yagnobi), Uzbek 13.8%, other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2014 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: Russian widely used in government and business
Religions
Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)
Age structure
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)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 68.8 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 62.2 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6.6 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 15.2 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 22.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 22.3 years
female: 23.2 years
comparison ranking: total 181
Population growth rate
1.92% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 42
Birth rate
25.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 42
Death rate
4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 205
Net migration rate
-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 167
Population distribution
the population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as many as 90% living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west
Urbanization
urban population: 28.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas – population
987,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother’s mean age at first birth
23.2 years (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
17 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: 131
Infant mortality rate
total: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 73
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 70.1 years
female: 73.8 years
comparison ranking: total population 167
Total fertility rate
3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 31
Gross reproduction rate
1.73 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
29.3% (2017)
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 96.5% of population
rural: 79.9% of population
total: 84.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 3.5% of population
rural: 20.1% of population
total: 15.6% of population (2020 est.)
Health expenditure
8% of GDP (2021)
6.4% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
1.87 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density
4.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: 98.9% of population
rural: 99.6% of population
total: 99.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.1% of population
rural: 0.4% of population
total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)
Obesity – adult prevalence rate
14.2% (2016)
comparison ranking: 128
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 0.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 156
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
7.6% (2017)
comparison ranking: 58
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
72% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 0.1% (2017)
women married by age 18: 8.7% (2017)
Education expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
19.7% national budget (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 48
Literacy
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 94.6% (2017 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2013)
Environment
Environment – current issues
air pollution from motor vehicles and industry; water pollution from agricultural runoff and untreated industrial waste and sewage; poor management of water resources; soil erosion; increasing levels of soil salinity
Environment – international agreements
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
Climate
mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Land use
agricultural land: 28.1% (2022 est.)
arable land: 6% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 1.7% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.3% (2022 est.)
forest: 3.1% (2022 est.)
other: 68.9% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 28.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 53.65 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 5.31 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 4.87 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,787,400 tons (2013 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
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 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
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)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 910 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 1.61 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 7.38 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
21.91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology: the Persian suffix –ostan means “land,” so the country name means “Land of the Tajik [people];” the name Tajik comes from the Sanskrit tajika, a name originally used to distinguish Arabs from Turks and derived from the Tay, an Arab people
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Dushanbe
geographic coordinates: 38 33 N, 68 46 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name means Monday in Persian; today’s city was originally at the crossroads where a large bazaar was held on Mondays, or the second day (du) after Saturday (shambe)
Administrative divisions
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: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Legal system
civil law system
Constitution
history: several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994
amendment process: 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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 16 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly Chairman since 20 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly
election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 7-year term (two-term limit), but as the “Leader of the Nation,” president has no term limit; prime minister appointed by the president
most recent election date: 11 October 2020
election results:
2020: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote – Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 92.1%, Rustam LATIFZODA (APT) 3.1%, other 4.8%
2013: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote – Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 84%, Ismoil TALBAKOV CPT) 5%, other 11%
expected date of next election: 2027
Legislative branch
legislature name: Supreme Council (Majlisi Oli)
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch – lower chamber
chamber name: House of Representatives (Majlisi namoyandogon)
number of seats: 63 (all directly elected)
electoral system: mixed system
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 3/2/2025
parties elected and seats per party: People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) (47); Agrarian Party of Tajikistan (APT) (7); Party of Economic Reforms of Tajikistan (PERT) (5); Other (4)
percentage of women in chamber: 28.6%
expected date of next election: March 2030
Legislative branch – upper chamber
chamber name: National Assembly (Majlisi milli)
number of seats: 33 (25 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 3/28/2025
percentage of women in chamber: 30.3%
expected date of next election: March 2030
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT
Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT
Democratic Party of Tajikistan or DPT
Party of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERT
People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT
Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPT
Socialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Farrukh HAMRALIZODA (since 17 February 2021)
chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://mfa.tj/en/washington
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Manuel P. MICALLER Jr. (since 9 March 2023)
embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue (Zarafshon district), Dushanbe 734019
mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Washington DC 20521-7090
telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00
FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://tj.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
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
Independence
9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday
Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)
Flag description
three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown under seven gold five-pointed stars is in the center of the white stripe; red stands for the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, and green for Islam and nature’s bounty; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the stars represent the number seven, which is considered a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness
National symbol(s)
arc of seven five-pointed stars over a crown, Marco Polo sheep
National color(s)
red, white, green
National anthem
name: “Surudi milli” (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Gulnazar KELDI/Sulaimon YUDAKOV
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
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural)
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)
Economy
Economic overview
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$46.467 billion (2023 est.)
$42.905 billion (2022 est.)
$39.727 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 130
Real GDP growth rate
8.3% (2023 est.)
8% (2022 est.)
9.4% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 9
Real GDP per capita
$4,500 (2023 est.)
$4,200 (2022 est.)
$4,000 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 181
GDP (official exchange rate)
$12.061 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.7% (2019 est.)
3.9% (2018 est.)
7.3% (2017 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 175
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 22.9% (2022 est.)
industry: 34.7% (2022 est.)
services: 34.1% (2022 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 208; industry 40; agriculture 26
GDP – composition, by end use
household consumption: 87.6% (2022 est.)
government consumption: 10.1% (2022 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 31.7% (2022 est.)
investment in inventories: 3.8% (2022 est.)
exports of goods and services: 16.4% (2022 est.)
imports of goods and services: -49.1% (2022 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
potatoes, milk, wheat, watermelons, onions, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, cotton, vegetables, grapes (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
aluminum, cement, coal, gold, silver, antimony, textile, vegetable oil
Industrial production growth rate
9.26% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 23
Labor force
2.78 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 117
Unemployment rate
11.6% (2024 est.)
11.5% (2023 est.)
11.6% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 171
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 27.1% (2024 est.)
male: 30% (2024 est.)
female: 23.3% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 31
Population below poverty line
22.5% (2022 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income
34 (2015 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 88
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3% (2015 est.)
highest 10%: 26.4% (2015 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
38.42% of GDP (2023 est.)
49.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
32.69% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $2.268 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $1.145 billion (2022 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
50.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 107
Taxes and other revenues
10.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 173
Current account balance
$887.016 million (2024 est.)
$584.022 million (2023 est.)
$1.635 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments – net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 59
Exports
$1.618 billion (2024 est.)
$2.105 billion (2023 est.)
$1.753 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments – exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 169
Exports – partners
Switzerland 31%, Kazakhstan 18%, China 17%, Uzbekistan 10%, Turkey 8% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports – commodities
gold, precious metal ore, aluminum, lead ore, antimony (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$6.907 billion (2024 est.)
$5.931 billion (2023 est.)
$5.261 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments – imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 140
Imports – partners
China 57%, Kazakhstan 13%, Uzbekistan 8%, Turkey 6%, UAE 4% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports – commodities
garments, footwear, cars, wheat, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$3.304 billion (2023 est.)
$3.847 billion (2022 est.)
$2.499 billion (2021 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 120
Debt – external
$3.024 billion (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
comparison ranking: 86
Exchange rates
Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
10.799 (2024 est.)
10.845 (2023 est.)
11.031 (2022 est.)
11.309 (2021 est.)
10.322 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)
electrification – urban areas: 99%
electrification – rural areas: 100%
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 6.481 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 15.275 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 3.101 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 714.025 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 3.94 billion kWh (2023 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 153; imports 87; exports 49; consumption 87; installed generating capacity 83
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 92.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
production: 2.394 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 2.297 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 475,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 147,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 4.075 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 31,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 12 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 18.476 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 43.767 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 24.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
8.616 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 4.676 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 3.855 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 114
Energy consumption per capita
16.192 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: 137
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 502,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 93
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 11.6 million (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 87
Broadcast media
state-run broadcaster has 9 national TV and 10 radio stations, and 4 regional stations; 31 independent TV and 20 independent radio stations broadcast locally and regionally; Russian and other foreign stations available via cable and satellite (2016)
Internet country code
.tj
Internet users
percent of population: 57% (2023 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 6,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
comparison ranking: total 191
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
EY
Airports
19 (2025)
comparison ranking: 142
Heliports
1 (2025)
comparison ranking: 143
Railways
total: 680 km (2014)
broad gauge: 680 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: Ground Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces
Tajik National Guard (TNG); Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops of Tajikistan; State Committee on National Security: Border Troops (aka Border Service) (2025)
note 1: the Mobile Forces are the airborne, air assault, mountain, and rapid reaction troops of the Armed Forces
note 2: the Tajik National Guard, formerly the Presidential Guard, is a paramilitary force under direct authority of the President; it is tasked with ensuring public safety and security, similar to the tasks of the Internal Troops; it also has ceremonial duties
Military expenditures
1.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
2% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 10,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 5-10,000 active paramilitary National Guard, Border Service, and Internal Troops personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
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 service age and obligation
18-27 years of age for compulsory (men only) or voluntary (men and women) military service; 24-month conscript service obligation or 12 months for those with a higher education (2024)
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
Military – note
the military’s primary concerns are terrorism, border security, territorial defense, and instability in neighboring countries; Russia is Tajikistan’s most important 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 force
Tajikistan 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 (2025)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
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
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 6,775 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2021)
stateless persons: 4,898 (2022)
Trafficking in persons
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/
Illicit drugs
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
