Six in 10 borrowers in Uzbekistan struggle to repay loans on time – Central Bank survey

The survey, conducted during the first half of 2026, covered 5,800 respondents from all regions of the country and assessed household debt by taking into account liabilities owed to both banks and non-bank lenders.

Overall, 77% of respondents said that they or a member of their household had outstanding borrowing. Bank loans were held by 68% of respondents, while one in five of those borrowers also had debt obligations to non-bank financial institutions.

The average debt burden, measured as the ratio of total monthly debt payments to total primary and additional monthly income, stood at 51%, while the median figure was 47%.

Nearly half of borrowers, or 47%, reported a debt burden exceeding 50% of their income. The Central Bank noted that this represents a slight improvement from the corresponding survey conducted in 2024, when the share was one percentage point higher.

Most respondents said their household's average monthly income from primary employment was up to UZS 12 million.

Only 19% reported having an additional source of income. Among them, 58% said their supplementary monthly earnings did not exceed UZS 4 million.

The survey found that 20% of borrowed funds had been used to purchase or renovate housing, while 18% financed the purchase of a car. Another 8% of respondents said they had taken out new loans to repay existing debt.

For 68% of borrowers, total monthly loan repayments amounted to less than UZS 6 million.

Almost half of respondents (48%) said they had less than three years remaining on their loan repayment schedules, while 27% reported that they still had five years or more left before their debts would be fully repaid.

Despite current repayment difficulties, 47% of borrowers expect their financial situation to improve over the next six months, while 42% believe their repayment capacity will remain unchanged.

The survey also suggests limited demand for new borrowing in the near term. Seventy-one percent of respondents said neither they nor members of their household expected to need additional loans over the next six months.