Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, a country rich in history and culture, is quickly emerging as a significant player in Central Asia’s digital market. Known for its stunning architecture, bustling bazaars, and the ancient Silk Road, Uzbekistan is now making strides in technology and mobile connectivity. With a growing smartphone penetration rate and increasing daily engagement with mobile apps, Uzbekistan presents an attractive opportunity for app developers and advertisers aiming to enter the Central Asian market.

At a glance:

• Country: Uzbekistan
• Official language: Uzbek
• Capital: Tashkent Population: 37 million
• Most popular app by downloads: Telegram
• Most popular app category: Social Media
• OS breakout: 75% Android, 25% iOS
• Mobile Rank: Rising

Getting to Know Uzbekistan

Nestled in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan boasts a rich cultural heritage dating back to ancient times. Influenced by Persian, Turkic, Mongol, and Russian traditions, the country is known for its vibrant music and dance, bustling bazaars, and intricate handicrafts such as silk weaving, ceramics, and wood carving. In addition to its ancient origins along the Silk Road and stunning 11th-century architecture in Samarkland, Uzbekistan is now focusing on digital development and making strides in mobile connectivity.

Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Uzbekistan has rolled out significant economic reforms, fostering a business-friendly and tech-forward environment. Specifically, the government focused on modernizing the banking sector, creating free economic zones, and investing in digital infrastructure to support the tech industry. Consequently, Uzbekistan is experiencing a surge in foreign investment, enhanced technology access, and a strong emphasis on innovation and digital growth, positioning itself as a dynamic and progressive player in Central Asia.

The population of Uzbekistan is youthful, with nearly 54% of its citizens under the age of 25. Following independence, Uzbekistan had one of the highest birth-rates of former Soviet nations and the greatest number of mothers with 10 or more living children under the age of 20. The result is a young, tech-savvy demographic that is increasingly connected online. Ethnically, Uzbekistan is predominantly Uzbek, making up nearly 84% of the population. The next largest demographic are Tajiks from neighboring Tajikistan at 5% of the total population. However, Russians have one of the most notable presences in the region. Although Russians make up less than 3% of the population, over 14% of Uzbekistan’s inhabitants speak Russian. This diverse and connected population makes Uzbekistan a prime emerging market for mobile apps.

The most significant cultural celebration in Uzbekistan is Navruz (Nowruz), marking the Persian New Year on March 21st with family gatherings, feasting, and traditional performances. Other major holidays include Independence Day on September 1st and Islamic holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are especially significant given 88% of Uzbekistan’s population is Muslim. Various cultural festivals, such as the Silk and Spices Festival in Bukhara, showcase the country’s historical significance and traditional crafts.

Uzbekistan as an Emerging Mobile Market

Uzbekistan is experiencing a notable increase in smartphone penetration. Driven by development of 5G infrastructure and adoption of emerging smartphone producers (other than Samsung and Apple), 77% of the country’s population is expected to own a smartphone by 2025. This is a significant increase from 60% in 2020.

One key reason behind this growth is Uzbekistan’s investment in 5G cell towers. Starting in 2022, the country’s own Mobiuz launched 5G services in the capital city Tashkent. As 5G internet became more widely available, the share of 5G-supported smartphones rapidly shot up. In just one year, the share of 5G smartphones in the country almost doubled from 24% to nearly 44%. That figure is expected to grow further to 62% by the end of 2025, bolstered by Nokia building a nationwide 5G network Uzbekistan over the next two years.

Additionally, Uzbekistan’s mobile users own a diverse range of smartphone brands. Unlike most countries worldwide, Uzbekistan’s population primarily relies on Apple and Honor devices, leaving Samsung ranked as the third-highest smartphone brand in the country. In fact, Honor — a brand under Chinese-based Huawei — outperformed not only Samsung but its Chinese competitor, Xiaomi, by 10%. Part of this is attributed to Honor’s strong presence and focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia as a target market. Other key markets Honor operates in include Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Kazakhstan. Honor devices are not available for sale in the U.S. and Canada.

Meanwhile, mobile ad spending in Uzbekistan is steadily climbing. Between 2020 and 2025, total mobile ad spend is projected to double from $65M USD to $131M USD. Mobile app spending makes up the majority of this, growing from $39M USD to $80M USD, respectively.

However, the desktop-mobile split of advertising spend is still dominated by desktop. As of 2024, 56% of total digital ad spend came from desktop advertising.

With that in mind, the growing penetration rate of smartphones and 5G devices combined with a young, internet-savvy population positions Uzbekistan as a notable emerging market for mobile apps.

Unlocking Programmatic Advertising in Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan’s evolving mobile ecosystem, programmatic advertising can play a crucial role in reaching and engaging its young audience. However, Uzbekistan has had a complicated relationship with social media and other digital channels. In 2022, the government banned many social media platforms, including TikTok. The following year, Skype, X, and VKontakte were reinstated. Despite the challenges with social channels, the Uzbek market remains largely untapped by programmatic marketing.

With the unstable state of social media, a lack of programmatic competition, and increasing smartphone penetration, marketers who use programmatic channels to reach Uzbek users will have tens of millions of new devices to target at relatively low acquisition costs. For marketers and developers with apps in Russian, Uzbekistan is an especially accessible market since 57% of Uzbek devices are set to the Russian language, according to Bidease data.

Programmatic advertising offers automated, data-driven solutions that include custom targeting and transparent reporting—key elements for navigating the complexities of emerging markets like Uzbekistan. As a leader in the mobile advertising landscape, Bidease leverages programmatic solutions, anti-fraud technology, and creative services to grow mobile apps successfully. With our local teams based in Eastern Europe and MENA, Bidease combines strong relationships with a deep understanding of local consumer behavior to help app marketers connect with users in emerging markets and drive meaningful results.

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