Tajikistan

World Book Index

Introduction

Background
The Tajik people came under Russian imperial rule in the 1860s and 1870s. In 1929, the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Geography

Area
total : 144,100 sq km
land: 141,510 sq km
water: 2,590 sq km

Climate
mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Natural resources
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

People and Society

Population
total: 10,394,063 (2024 est.)

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.)

Religions
Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)

Population growth rate
1.92% (2024 est.)

Government

Government type
presidential republic

Capital
name: Dushanbe

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)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Farrukh HAMRALIZODA (since 17 February 2021)

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Manuel P. MICALLER Jr. (since 9 March 2023)

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)
$50.37 billion (2024 est.)
$46.467 billion (2023 est.)
$42.905 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$4,800 (2024 est.)
$4,500 (2023 est.)
$4,200 (2022 est.)

Exports
$1.618 billion (2024 est.)
$2.105 billion (2023 est.)
$1.753 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners
Switzerland 31%, Kazakhstan 18%, China 17%, Uzbekistan 10%, Turkey 8% (2023)

Exports - commodities
gold, precious metal ore, aluminum, lead ore, antimony (2023)

Imports
$6.907 billion (2024 est.)
$5.931 billion (2023 est.)
$5.261 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners
China 57%, Kazakhstan 13%, Uzbekistan 8%, Turkey 6%, UAE 4% (2023)

Imports - commodities
garments, footwear, cars, wheat, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

Human Development Index

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.691, ranking it 128th out of 193 countries tested. (more information)

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report ranked the country 93rd out of 158 countries tested with a score of 5.281. (more information)