The population of Uzbekistan sold $12.3 billion to commercial banks in the first half of 2026, which is a record figure. According to the Central Bank, the volume of foreign currency sales increased by almost 1.4 times compared to the same period in 2025, when residents of the country sold $9.1 billion to banks.

At the same time, the purchase of foreign currency by the population also increased, but at a more moderate pace. Over six months, citizens acquired $6.8 billion compared to $5.4 billion a year earlier, which corresponds to a 26% increase. As a result, the difference between foreign currency sales and purchases reached $5.5 billion – a year earlier this figure was $3.7 billion.

The increase in foreign currency supply is associated with an increase in remittances from abroad. In the first half of the year, international money transfers to Uzbekistan reached $9.3 billion. Along with the growth in export earnings, active foreign currency sales by the population helped maintain the stability of the national currency exchange rate: by the end of June, the dollar cost 12,009 soms, practically unchanged since the beginning of the year.