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
9,245,937 (2023 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
1.94% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Dushanbe
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly Chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013)
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of:
National Assembly or Majlisi Milli (34 seats; 25 members indirectly elected by local representative assemblies or majlisi, 8 appointed by the president, and 1 reserved for each living former president; members serve 5-year terms)
Assembly of Representatives or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by 2-round absolute majority vote and 22 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
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)
$38.058 billion (2021 est.)
$34.851 billion (2020 est.)
$33.382 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$3,900 (2021 est.)
$3,700 (2020 est.)
$3,600 (2019 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, potatoes, wheat, watermelons, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, cotton, carrots/turnips, beef
Industries
aluminum, cement, coal, gold, silver, antimony, textile, vegetable oil
Remittances
33.41% of GDP (2021 est.)
26.88% of GDP (2020 est.)
27.97% of GDP (2019 est.)
Exports
$2.161 billion (2021 est.)
$1.409 billion (2020 est.)
$1.243 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners
Turkey 24%, Switzerland 22%, Uzbekistan 16%, Kazakhstan 12%, China 10% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, aluminum, cotton, zinc, antimony, lead (2019)
Imports
$4.258 billion (2021 est.)
$3.125 billion (2020 est.)
$3.409 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners
China 40%, Russia 38%, Kazakhstan 19%, Uzbekistan 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, wheat, natural gas, bauxite, aircraft (2019)
Exchange rates
Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
11.309 (2021 est.)
10.322 (2020 est.)
9.53 (2019 est.)
9.151 (2018 est.)
8.55 (2017 est.)
Page last updated: Wednesday, December 06, 2023
