World Safety Map

Safest cities in Uzbekistan

35 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04

US 1/4 Exercise normal precautions

What official travel advice warns about

Terrorism

  • Terrorism in UzbekistanTerrorist attacks in Uzbekistan cannot be ruled out.

Political situation

  • Avoid demonstrations or large gatherings of people, which are likely to attract a heavy presence from security forces. Use caution and maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places.

Crime

  • Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common, especially in crowded places like bazaars and on public transport. Home burglaries and break-ins also happen, even in wealthier neighbourhoods.

Laws and cultural differences

  • Personal IDYou must carry your passport with you at all times. This is a legal requirement in Uzbekistan, and the police often carry out checks. You can be fined or arrested for failing to do so.
  • Illegal drugs and prison sentencesPossession of drugs is illegal. You can get a long prison sentence if convicted. While prison conditions have reportedly improved, reports of widespread hepatitis and tuberculosis as well as allegations of mistreatment of some prisoners by officials remain a concern.
  • Alcohol lawsIt is illegal to sell alcohol and tobacco to someone aged 20 or under.
  • Taking photos in secure areasAny form of photography can upset the authorities, particularly photographs of government buildings. This includes the Palace of Forums in Tashkent and sometimes local bazaars not normally visited by tourists. While restrictions have been relaxed recently, you should check before taking photos, especially near airports, border checkpoints,…
  • Prohibited materialIt is prohibited to bring material into Uzbekistan that could be considered as undermining the state. This includes material which promotes war, terrorism, religious hatred or racism and pornographic content.
  • Social mediaBe careful when posting images of your visit on social media, particularly in relation to images or comments about public buildings, the Uzbek flag, national food or customs. Disrespectful content, including criticism of the government, could result in fines or detention.
  • RamadanRamadan is a holy month for Muslims. The dates vary by year and country. Cafés and restaurants may amend their menus and be busy around fast-breaking (‘Iftar’). Areas around mosques are also likely to be busy around prayer times. Take particular care not to offend religious sensitivities at this time.
  • LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relationships are illegal, not recognised and still frowned upon socially. You should refrain from showing affection in public.
  • MoneyThe currency in Uzbekistan is the Uzbek so’m (or soum/som – UZS), and is not available in currency exchanges outside Uzbekistan.

Transport risks

  • Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Uzbekistan, see information on driving abroad.
  • Taxis and busesUse licensed taxis whenever possible - this includes:
  • Rail travelTake similar precautions as you would in the UK. If you must travel overnight, keep valuables in a safe place. Do not leave your belongings in the compartment unattended. Lock the door from the inside. You’ll need to show your passport with a valid visa when booking train tickets.

Extreme weather and natural disasters

  • EarthquakesUzbekistan is in an active seismic zone. There are regular tremors.

Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Uzbekistan, updated 2026-03-19 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →

Country figures

Homicide rate
1.4 /100k2021
Income inequality
Gini 32.72025
Human development
HDI 0.7402023
Income
$13,640/yrGNI per capita PPP
Road deaths
11.7 /100kWHO, 2019
Political stability
65/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
Rule of law
46/100WGI, 2024
Corruption perceptions
31/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
Natural-hazard risk
3.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Women, Peace & Security
0.67GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
Air quality
32.8 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
Safe drinking water
82%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
Healthcare capacity
2.8 doctors /1k4.9 hospital beds per 1,000
Malaria
0 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only

Natural hazards

Flood
8.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Earthquake
7.0/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Drought
6.6/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier

Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.

Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Uzbekistan (as of 2025). This describes the law on the books, not necessarily enforcement practice.

How Uzbekistan compares

Uzbekistan against the median of all 180 countries in the dataset. Green means better than the median.
MeasureUzbekistanWorld medianDifference
Homicide rate1.4 /100k2.4 /100k−1.0 /100k — better for Uzbekistan
Income inequality (Gini)32.735.2−2.5 — better for Uzbekistan
Human development (HDI)0.7400.763−0.023 — better for World median
Road deaths11.7 /100k15.4 /100k−3.7 /100k — better for Uzbekistan
Rule of law46/10052/100−6/100 — better for World median
Corruption perceptions31/10039/100−8/100 — better for World median
Air quality (PM2.5)32.8 µg/m³19.7 µg/m³+13.1 µg/m³ — better for World median
Natural-hazard risk3.2/103.8/10−0.6/10 — better for Uzbekistan
And against its own region — often the more useful comparison, since Asia shares much of the context a global median averages away.
MeasureUzbekistanAsia medianDifference
Homicide rate1.4 /100k1.8 /100k−0.4 /100k — better for Uzbekistan
Income inequality (Gini)32.733.6−0.9 — better for Uzbekistan
Human development (HDI)0.7400.771−0.031 — better for Asia median
Road deaths11.7 /100k15.3 /100k−3.6 /100k — better for Uzbekistan
Rule of law46/10052/100−6/100 — better for Asia median
Corruption perceptions31/10037/100−6/100 — better for Asia median
Air quality (PM2.5)32.8 µg/m³26.7 µg/m³+6.1 µg/m³ — better for Asia median
Natural-hazard risk3.2/103.7/10−0.5/10 — better for Uzbekistan

Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.

All 35 cities, safest first

  1. Tashkent76.7 · #2133 worldwide
  2. Namangan76.7 · #2134 worldwide
  3. Samarqand76.7 · #2135 worldwide
  4. Andijon76.7 · #2136 worldwide
  5. Qarshi76.7 · #2137 worldwide
  6. Nukus76.7 · #2138 worldwide
  7. Shahrisabz76.7 · #2139 worldwide
  8. Asaka76.7 · #2140 worldwide
  9. Urgench76.7 · #2141 worldwide
  10. Bukhara76.7 · #2142 worldwide
  11. Navoiy76.7 · #2143 worldwide
  12. Juma76.7 · #2144 worldwide
  13. Shahand76.7 · #2145 worldwide
  14. Sharixon76.7 · #2146 worldwide
  15. Denov76.7 · #2147 worldwide
  16. Tergachi76.7 · #2148 worldwide
  17. Kattakurgan76.7 · #2149 worldwide
  18. Khiva76.7 · #2150 worldwide
  19. Turtkul76.7 · #2151 worldwide
  20. Uzun76.7 · #2152 worldwide
  21. Urgut76.7 · #2153 worldwide
  22. Quva76.7 · #2154 worldwide
  23. Chust76.7 · #2155 worldwide
  24. G'ijduvon76.7 · #2156 worldwide
  25. Koson76.7 · #2157 worldwide
  26. Chortoq76.7 · #2158 worldwide
  27. Beshkapa76.7 · #2159 worldwide
  28. Jizzakh73.7 · #2973 worldwide
  29. Gulistan67.8 · #3717 worldwide
  30. Fergana66.4 · #3827 worldwide
  31. Oltiariq64.3 · #4044 worldwide
  32. Ibrat63.6 · #4149 worldwide
  33. Rishtan63.6 · #4150 worldwide
  34. Qoqand63.6 · #4153 worldwide
  35. Termez63.3 · #4194 worldwide