BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. Uzbekistan had 20,973 enterprises with foreign investment operating in the country as of August 1, 2026, highlighting the growing role of international capital across trade, industry, construction and services.
This was reflected in the data by the Uzbekistan's National Statistics Committee.
Trade accounted for the largest share of foreign-invested enterprises, with 7,450 companies, followed by industry with 4,098 and construction with 1,732. The information and communications sector ranked next with 1,764 enterprises, reflecting the expanding presence of foreign capital in Uzbekistan's digital economy.
Other major sectors included accommodation and food services with 920 enterprises, transportation and storage with 646, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries with 532. Healthcare and social services accounted for 241 enterprises, while 3,590 companies operated across other areas of the economy.
Trend's calculations show that trade and industrial enterprises together accounted for 11,548 companies, or about 55% of all foreign-invested enterprises in Uzbekistan. Trade alone represented approximately 35.5%, while industry accounted for about 19.5%.
The figures indicate that foreign investment remains concentrated in sectors directly linked to Uzbekistan's expanding consumer market and industrial base. The large number of foreign-invested trading companies points to strong foreign participation in the country's distribution and retail economy, while the substantial industrial presence suggests that international investors are also increasingly targeting production activities.
In Trend's assessment, the presence of 4,098 foreign-invested industrial enterprises is particularly significant because investment in manufacturing and other industrial activities can generate longer-term economic benefits through technology transfer, job creation and integration into international supply chains.
Trend's analysis also shows growing diversification beyond traditional trade and industry. The 1,764 enterprises in information and communications represent about 8.4% of the total, while construction accounts for another 8.3%. Together, these sectors point to foreign investors' growing interest in Uzbekistan's infrastructure development and digital transformation.
At the same time, the relatively small number of foreign-invested enterprises in healthcare and social services — 241, or about 1.1% of the total — suggests that some sectors still have significant potential to attract international capital. Agriculture, transport and hospitality also remain comparatively smaller segments of the foreign-invested business base.
Overall, the data point to a broadening foreign-investment footprint in Uzbekistan, although trade and industry continue to dominate. The growing presence of foreign enterprises in technology, construction, transport and services suggests that Uzbekistan's investment landscape is gradually expanding beyond commerce toward sectors that can support industrial modernization and longer-term economic growth.
