Labour Migration From Central Asia to Russia Falls 15%; Kyrgyzstan Down 16.7%
Russian border-service data show work-related entries by citizens of three Central Asian states fell from 2.3 million to 1.9 million in the first half of 2026. Kyrgyzstan recorded 289,100 entries.
Labour migration from Central Asia to Russia contracted sharply in 2026. According to Russian border-service data reviewed by the business daily Vedomosti, work-related entries by citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan fell 15% in the first half of the year.
The total dropped from 2.3 million in the same period of 2025 to 1.9 million.
Country by country
Kyrgyz citizens accounted for 289,100 work-related entries, down 16.7% year on year.
Uzbek citizens accounted for more than 1.1 million entries (down 13.2%). Tajik citizens accounted for 494,500 entries (down 17.9%) — the steepest fall of the three.
By the numbers
- Total work-related entries (H1 2026): 1.9 million — down 15%
- Same period in 2025: 2.3 million
- Uzbekistan: more than 1.1 million — down 13.2%
- Tajikistan: 494,500 — down 17.9%
- Kyrgyzstan: 289,100 — down 16.7%
- Source: Russian border-service data reviewed by Vedomosti
Reasons cited
Reported factors include tighter migration rules and enforcement, higher work-permit fees and rising living costs in Russia.
The Diplomat notes that the war in Ukraine has produced a longer-term transformation of the institutional and political environment in which Kyrgyz migration takes place.
New destinations
The economics of labour migration are changing as well.
— Alexander Safonov, professor at the Financial University (Kursiv, August 2026)
Safonov noted that workers increasingly target South Korea, China, the Gulf states and EU countries, alongside opportunities inside Central Asia itself.
Remittances
According to Kursiv, Russia accounted for 72.4% of Central Asian remittances in the first quarter of 2026, down from 77.6% previously; the quarterly total was put at $3.8 billion.
Data published on the IOM's Migration Data Portal indicate remittances remain the primary income source for 66% of migrant-worker families, with 80% sending money home regularly.
Official figures on Kyrgyz migrants
Of the 328,458 Kyrgyz nationals residing abroad, the majority (285,433) resided in the Russian Federation, as of 2023.
— Migration Data Portal, Central Asia regional overview (IOM data)
The same overview records that 84% of returning migrant workers in 2023 came back from Russia.
Comparison with Uzbekistan
As of December 2023, around 60% (1.2 million) of Uzbekistan's 2 million migrant workers were employed in the Russian Federation, according to the same source.
Context
Labour migration remains a significant source of employment and foreign-currency inflows for Central Asian states. A contraction in the flow affects both host-market conditions and sending-country economies.