Uzbekistan recorded an annual inflation rate of 8.8% in August, according to the country's Statistics Agency.
Food prices rose by 0.6% during the month, while non-food goods and services each saw a 0.3% increase. Inflation in the services sector reached 16.2%, significantly outpacing other categories. Regionally, Fergana experienced the sharpest price growth over the past year, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.
According to the agency, consumer prices in August increased on average by 0.4 percent compared to the previous month. Excluding seasonal changes in fruit and vegetable prices, annual inflation was estimated at 9.4 percent.
Food products rose by 0.6 percent in August (6.7 percent year-on-year), non-food products by 0.3 percent (6.6 percent), and services by 0.3 percent (16.2 percent).
Food products
Eggs increased by 2.7 percent in August, though they were 6.6 percent cheaper year-on-year. Among meat products, chicken drumsticks and thighs rose by 2.1 percent (5.8 percent year-on-year), lamb by 1.4 percent (28.5 percent), boneless beef by 0.7 percent (25.7 percent), and bone-in beef by 0.2 percent (24.9 percent).
“The active sale of beef at reduced prices (between UZS 65,000-75,000 per kilogram) in local markets influenced the average price level and prevented a sharp jump in the meat price index,” the Statistics Agency noted.
Some staple food products became cheaper in August: rice -0.1 percent (-17.2 percent year-on-year), oatmeal -0.2 percent (3.6 percent), bread made from premium wheat flour -0.2 percent (2.1 percent), caramel candies -0.2 percent (3.4 percent), and noodles -0.4 percent (3.5 percent).
Fruits and vegetables
The sharpest price increase among fruits and vegetables was recorded for watermelons, which rose by 28.7 percent in August (9.9 percent year-on-year). Melons rose by 11.7 percent (3.7 percent), cabbage by 11.4 percent (46.5 percent), potatoes by 3.5 percent (32 percent), and bananas by 2.8 percent (-7 percent).
Tomatoes saw the steepest decline, dropping by 16.8 percent (-34.7 percent year-on-year). Grapes fell by 5.4 percent (-39.5 percent), eggplants by 4.3 percent (-12.4 percent), cucumbers by 3.1 percent (-15.3 percent), carrots by 3.1 percent (69.1 percent), bell peppers by 2.8 percent (-16 percent), onions by 2.3 percent (40.1 percent), and apples by 1.0 percent (-16.6 percent).
Waste collection, utilities, and repair services
From August 2025, household waste disposal tariffs increased in Bukhara region, while service fees for multi-storey residential buildings rose in Khorezm region. The monthly consumer price index for these services was 103.0 percent and 100.3 percent, respectively.
Materials for housing maintenance and repair rose by 0.4 percent during the month.
Healthcare
Pharmaceutical prices rose by 0.2 percent in August, with a year-on-year increase of 8.1 percent. Outpatient treatment services rose by 0.4 percent during the month (9.7 percent year-on-year). Other healthcare services increased by 0.6 percent (11.6 percent year-on-year).
Transport
According to the Statistics Agency, gasoline prices rose by 3.1 percent in August, with AI-80 gasoline increasing by 4.6 percent. Over the past year, gasoline prices grew by 11.1 percent.
Propane prices rose by 0.6 percent during the month and by 93.9 percent year-on-year. Methane prices remained stable compared to July, though they were 31 percent higher than a year earlier.
Other transport-related services also became more expensive: parking fees rose by 0.7 percent (13.6 percent year-on-year), driving courses by 1.6 percent (71.3 percent), and vehicle maintenance and repair services by 0.6 percent (11.7 percent).
Passenger transport services fell by 0.1 percent in August. The agency explained this by a drop in long-distance train and air ticket prices, as well as the strengthening of the national currency.
Regional breakdown
The sharpest monthly price increase was recorded in Bukhara region at 0.7 percent.
Annual inflation was highest in Fergana at 9.7 percent - the only region where inflation exceeded 9 percent. In the capital, Tashkent, annual inflation stood at 8.7 percent.
