{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
The Tajik people came under Russian imperial rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. At that time, bands of indigenous guerrillas (called \"basmachi\") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but in 1929 the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan, and ethnic Tajiks an even larger minority in Uzbekistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between political, regional, and religious factions from 1992 to 1997.
Though the country holds general elections for both the presidency (once every seven years) and parliament (once every five years), observers note an electoral system rife with irregularities and abuse, with results that are neither free nor fair. President Emomali RAHMON, who came to power in 1994 during the civil war, used an attack planned by a disaffected deputy defense minister in 2015 to ban the last major opposition political party in Tajikistan. In December 2015, RAHMON further strengthened his position by having himself declared \"Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation,\" with limitless terms and lifelong immunity through constitutional amendments ratified in a referendum. The referendum also lowered the minimum age required to run for president from 35 to 30, which would make RAHMON's son Rustam EMOMALI, the current mayor of the capital city of Dushanbe, eligible to run for president in 2020.
The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the WTO in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistani migrant laborers working in Russia and Kazakhstan, pervasive corruption, and the opiate trade and other destabilizing violence emanating from neighboring Afghanistan. Tajikistan has endured several domestic security incidents since 2010, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. Tajikistan suffered its first ISIS-claimed attack in 2018, when assailants attacked a group of Western bicyclists with vehicles and knives, killing four.
note: Russian widely used in government and business
" }, "Religions": { "text": "Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "31.43% (male 1,420,271/female 1,368,445)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "18.13% (male 816,658/female 792,231)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "40.58% (male 1,789,271/female 1,811,566)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "6.23% (male 253,862/female 299,378)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "3.63% (male 132,831/female 189,156) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "67.9" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "62.6" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.3" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "18.7 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "25.3 years" }, "male": { "text": "24.6 years" }, "female": { "text": "26 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "1.44% (2021 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "21.22 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "27.5% of total population (2020)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "2.62% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "916,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2020)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.85 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.7 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23.2 years (2017 est.)", "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
" }, "Maternal mortality rate": { "text": "17 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "33.05 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "37.8 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "28.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "69.06 years" }, "male": { "text": "65.91 years" }, "female": { "text": "72.38 years (2021 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "2.48 children born/woman (2021 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "29.3% (2017)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 96.2% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 78.6% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 83.5% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 3.8% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 21.4% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 16.5% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "Current Health Expenditure": { "text": "7.2% (2017)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "2.1 physicians/1,000 population (2014)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "4.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 99.7% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 99.3% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 99.4% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0.3% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0.7% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 2% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "0.2% (2019 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "14,000 (2019 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "<500 (2019 est.)" }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "high (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "malaria" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "14.2% (2016)" }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "7.6% (2017)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "5.2% of GDP (2015)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "99.8%" }, "male": { "text": "99.8%" }, "female": { "text": "99.7% (2015)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "11 years" }, "male": { "text": "12 years" }, "female": { "text": "11 years (2013)" } } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of Tajikistan" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Tajikistan" }, "local long form": { "text": "Jumhurii Tojikiston" }, "local short form": { "text": "Tojikiston" }, "former": { "text": "Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic" }, "etymology": { "text": "the Persian suffix \"-stan\" means \"place of\" or \"country,\" so the word Tajikistan literally means \"Land of the Tajik [people]\"" } }, "Government type": { "text": "presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Dushanbe" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "38 33 N, 68 46 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "note": "note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
" }, "Independence": { "text": "9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994" }, "amendments": { "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or by at least one third of the total membership of both houses of the Supreme Assembly; adoption of any amendment requires a referendum, which includes approval of the president or approval by at least two-thirds majority of the Assembly of Representatives; passage in a referendum requires participation of an absolute majority of eligible voters and an absolute majority of votes; constitutional articles, including Tajikistan’s form of government, its territory, and its democratic nature, cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2016" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Tajikistan" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "5 years or 3 years of continuous residence prior to application" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term for a maximum of two terms; however, as the \"Leader of the Nation\" President RAHMON can run an unlimited number of times; election last held on 11 October 2020 (next to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president" }, "election results": { "text": "Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 92.1%, Rustam LATIFZODA (APT) 3.1%, Rustam RAHAMATZODA (PERT) 2.2%, Abduhalim GHAFFOROV (SPT) 1.5%, Miroj ABDULLOEV (CPT) 1.2%" } }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { "text": "bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of:note: adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics
" } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "Tajikistan is a poor, mountainous country with an economy dominated by minerals extraction, metals processing, agriculture, and reliance on remittances from citizens working abroad. Mineral resources include silver, gold, uranium, antimony, tungsten, and coal. Industry consists mainly of small obsolete factories in food processing and light industry, substantial hydropower facilities, and a large aluminum plant - currently operating well below its capacity. The 1992-97 civil war severely damaged an already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Today, Tajikistan is the poorest among the former Soviet republics. Because less than 7% of the land area is arable and cotton is the predominant crop, Tajikistan imports approximately 70% of its food.
Since the end of the civil war, the country has pursued half-hearted reforms and privatizations in the economic sphere, but its poor business climate remains a hindrance to attracting foreign investment. Some experts estimate the value of narcotics transiting Tajikistan is equivalent to 30%-50% of GDP.
Because of a lack of employment opportunities in Tajikistan, more than one million Tajik citizens work abroad - roughly 90% in Russia - supporting families back home through remittances that in 2017 were equivalent to nearly 35% of GDP. Tajikistan’s large remittances from migrant workers in Russia exposes it to monetary shocks. Tajikistan often delays devaluation of its currency for fear of inflationary pressures on food and other consumables. Recent slowdowns in the Russian and Chinese economies, low commodity prices, and currency fluctuations have hampered economic growth. The dollar value of remittances from Russia to Tajikistan dropped by almost 65% in 2015, and the government spent almost $500 million in 2016 to bail out the country’s still troubled banking sector.
Tajikistan’s growing public debt – currently about 50% of GDP – could result in financial difficulties. Remittances from Russia increased in 2017, however, bolstering the economy somewhat. China owns about 50% of Tajikistan’s outstanding debt. Tajikistan has borrowed heavily to finance investment in the country’s vast hydropower potential. In 2016, Tajikistan contracted with the Italian firm Salini Impregilo to build the Roghun dam over a 13-year period for $3.9 billion. A 2017 Eurobond has largely funded Roghun’s first phase, after which sales from Roghun’s output are expected to fund the rest of its construction. The government has not ruled out issuing another Eurobond to generate auxiliary funding for its second phase.
" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "7.1% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "6.9% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "6% (2015 est.)" } }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "7.7% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "3.9% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "7.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Moody's rating": { "text": "B3 (2017)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "B- (2017)" } }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$31.502 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$29.438 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$27.435 billion (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars
" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$2.522 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$3,380 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$3,235 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2017": { "text": "$3,090 (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars
" }, "Gross national saving": { "Gross national saving 2017": { "text": "24.4% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2016": { "text": "15.4% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2015": { "text": "11.8% of GDP (2015 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "28.6% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "25.5% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "45.9% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "98.4% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "13.3% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "11.7% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "2.5% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "10.7% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-36.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "Ease of Doing Business Index scores": { "Overall Ease of Doing Business score 2020": { "text": "60.9 (2020)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "milk, potatoes, wheat, watermelons, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, cotton, carrots/turnips, beef" }, "Industries": { "text": "aluminum, cement, coal, gold, silver, antimony, textile, vegetable oil" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "1% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "2.295 million (2016 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "43%" }, "industry": { "text": "10.6%" }, "services": { "text": "46.4% (2016 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2016": { "text": "2.4% (2016 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2015": { "text": "2.5% (2015 est.)" }, "note": "note: official rate; actual unemployment is much higher
" }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "31.5% (2016 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015": { "text": "34 (2015 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1998": { "text": "34.7 (1998)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "NA (2009 est.)" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "NA (2009 est.)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "2.269 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "2.374 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "31.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "50.4% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "42% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$35 million (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$362 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2017": { "text": "$873.1 million (2017 est.)" }, "Exports 2016": { "text": "$691.1 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Turkey 27.5%, China 17.7%, Russia 13.4%, Switzerland 12.5%, Algeria 8.2%, Iran 7.1% (2017)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2017": { "text": "$2.39 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Imports 2016": { "text": "$2.554 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Russia 38%, Kazakhstan 19%, China 8.7%, Iran 4.4% (2017)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$1.292 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$652.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$5.75 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$5.495 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "8.764 (2017 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2016": { "text": "7.8358 (2016 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2015": { "text": "7.8358 (2015 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "6.1631 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "4.9348 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "17.03 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "12.96 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "1.4 billion kWh NA (2015 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "103 million kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "5.508 million kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "6% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "94% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "180 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "12 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "172 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "22,460 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "19.82 million cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "19.82 million cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy": { "text": "6.329 million Mt (2017 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "471,090" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "5.39 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "9,747,803" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "111.53 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "foreign investment in the telephone system has resulted in major improvements; an increase in mobile broadband penetration, but still in the early stages and remains low compared to those in the region; the country has endeavored to launch 4G/LTE services with mixed results; 7 major cities have 4G coverage; 5 major operators in the market (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed line availability has not changed significantly since 1998, while mobile cellular subscribership, aided by competition among multiple operators, has expanded rapidly; coverage now extends to all major cities and towns; fixed-line 5 per 100 and mobile-cellular 112 per 100 (2019)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); 3 satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita" }, "note": "in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "stateless persons": { "text": "7,151 (2019)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "Tajikistan sits on one of the world's highest volume illicit drug trafficking routes, between Afghan opiate production to the south and the illicit drug markets of Russia and Eastern Europe to the north; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; significant consumer of opiates" } } }