Uzbekistan's gas exports fell 35% while imports rose 15%
According to the Statistics Agency, gas exports dropped to $322.3 million in January–August 2026 while imports climbed to $1.22 billion. The country has been a net gas importer since 2023.
Uzbekistan's exports of natural and manufactured gas fell sharply in January–August 2026 while imports rose, according to data from the Statistics Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Exports down, imports up
Gas exports fell 34.8% year-on-year to $322.3 million. At the same time gas imports rose 15.2% to $1.22 billion — meaning the country bought almost four times more gas by value than it exported. Imports of liquefied gas reached $124.3 million, up roughly 3.5-fold.
Production is declining
The main driver is falling output. Natural gas production dropped to 24.2 billion cubic metres, down from 28.9 bcm a year earlier (−16.3%). Gas condensate output was 648,300 tonnes (−14.8%) and oil 425,000 tonnes (−2.2%). Declining yields at ageing fields and rising domestic demand are forcing the country to import more.
A net importer since 2023
Uzbekistan was once a major gas exporter but has been a net importer since 2023. Gas comes mainly from Russia (under a two-year Gazprom deal, with deliveries starting in October 2023) and Turkmenistan. At the same time the country still exports some gas to China via the Central Asia–China pipeline.
