Uzbekistan Reports Decline in Residential Land Sales in Q1

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan recorded a decline in the sale of land plots for residential construction on the electronic trading platform “E-auksion” in the first quarter of 2026, according to a joint analysis by the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies under the Cabinet of Ministers and the Electronic Online Auctions Organization JSC.

The study found that compared with the same period in 2025, the total area of land sold for both individual housing construction and multi-apartment buildings decreased significantly. In the individual housing segment, the area fell from 49.9 hectares to 27.6 hectares. In the multi-apartment housing segment, the decline was sharper, from 48.3 hectares to 14.1 hectares. Land sales in the “New Uzbekistan” housing projects also dropped from 17.2 hectares to 4.0 hectares.

Regional data shows that multi-apartment housing development was concentrated in a limited number of regions. In the first quarter of 2026, the largest shares were recorded in the Khorezm region (5.1 hectares), Surkhandarya and Namangan regions (2.6 hectares each), and Sirdarya region (1.5 hectares).

In regions dominated by horizontal development, individual housing construction continued to prevail. In Karakalpakstan, 66.6% of sold land was allocated for individual housing, while in Jizzakh region the figure stood at 9.7%. For comparison, in 2022–2025 these shares were 59.9% and 10.4%, respectively.

The analysis also highlighted significant price differences across regions. In areas with active multi-story development, land prices were substantially higher. In Namangan region, the average price reached 720,000 Uzbek soums per square meter, while in Fergana region it stood at 684,000 soums. In less densely developed regions, prices were considerably lower, including 101,000 soums per square meter in Jizzakh region and 45,000 soums in Karakalpakstan.

In the individual housing segment, Sirdarya region recorded an average price of 258,000 soums per square meter, while in Bukhara region it was 105,000 soums. The lowest prices were observed in Karakalpakstan and Kashkadarya region, at 16,000 and 14,000 soums per square meter respectively.

The authors of the analysis said land sale structures serve as an indicator of urbanization trends. Regions with a higher share of individual housing are classified as horizontal expansion zones, while areas with a greater share of multi-apartment projects are considered vertically urbanizing. A mixed model is identified when multi-apartment construction accounts for 40% to 60% of sales.