Tajikistan

Broadcast media

state-run TV broadcasters transmit nationally on 9 TV and 10 radio stations, and regionally on 4 stations; 31 independent TV and 20 radio stations broadcast locally and regionally; many households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite (2016)

Internet country code

.tj

Internet users

total: 1,705,345 | percent of population: 20.5% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Telephone system

general assessment: foreign investment in the telephone system has resulted in major improvements; conversion of the existing fixed network from analogue to digital was completed in 2012 | domestic: 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 | international: 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); satellite earth stations - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita); established a single gateway for Internet traffic in December 2015, which is expected to limit the connectivity of nonstate-owned telecom, Internet, and mobile companies (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 468,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 9.4 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Agriculture - products

cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Budget

revenues: $2.231 billion | expenditures: $2.352 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Central bank discount rate

16% (20 March 2017) | 6.5% (31 December 2012) | country comparison to the world: 9

Commercial bank prime lending rate

25.6% (31 December 2016 est.) | 25.84% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Current account balance

$-265 million (2016 est.) | $-471.8 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Debt - external

$5.495 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $5.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32.6 (2006) | 34.7 (1998) | country comparison to the world: 110

Economy - overview

Tajikistan is a poor, mountainous country with an economy dominated by minerals extraction, metals processing, agriculture, and reliance on remittances from citizens working abroad. The 1992-97 civil war severely damaged an already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Today, Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Less than 7% of the land area is arable and cotton is the most important crop. Tajikistan imports approximately 70% of its food. Mineral resources include silver, gold, uranium, antimony, and tungsten. 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. | 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 2014 were equivalent to nearly 50% of GDP. Some experts estimate the value of narcotics transiting Tajikistan is equivalent to 30%-50% of GDP. | Since the end of the civil war, the country has pursued half-hearted reforms and privatizations in the economic sphere, but the poor business climate remains a hurdle to attracting foreign investment. Tajikistan has sought to develop its substantial hydroelectricity potential through partnership with Russian and Iranian investors, and is pursuing completion of the Roghun dam - which, if built according to plan, would be the tallest dam in the world. However, the project is a sensitive issue for downstream neighbors and faces large financing shortfalls. In 2016, Tajikistan officially contracted with Italian firm Salini Impregilo to construct the dam over a 13-year period for $3.9 billion. | Recent slowdowns in the Russian and Chinese economies, low commodity prices, and currency fluctuations are hampering economic growth in Tajikistan. By some estimates, the dollar value of remittances from Russia to Tajikistan dropped by more than 65% in 2015. The government faces challenges financing the public debt, which is equivalent to 35% of GDP, and the National Bank of Tajikistan has aggressively spent its reserves to bolster the weakening somoni, leaving little space for fiscal or monetary measures to counter any additional economic shocks.

Exchange rates

Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar - | 7.8358 (2016 est.) | 7.8358 (2015 est.) | 6.1631 (2014 est.) | 4.9348 (2013 est.) | 4.76 (2012 est.)

Exports

$691.1 million (2016 est.) | $572 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Exports - commodities

aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners

Turkey 27.8%, Russia 15.6%, China 14.7%, Switzerland 9.8%, Iran 6.5%, Algeria 6.5%, Italy 5.8% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.922 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$26.02 billion (2016 est.) | $24.04 billion (2015 est.) | $22.43 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 135

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 101.8% | government consumption: 16.6% | investment in fixed capital: 12.1% | investment in inventories: 3.4% | exports of goods and services: 11.3% | imports of goods and services: -45.3% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 27.8% | industry: 25.9% | services: 46.3% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,000 (2016 est.) | $2,900 (2015 est.) | $2,800 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 193

GDP - real growth rate

6.9% (2016 est.) | 6% (2015 est.) | 6.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Gross national saving

17.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 12.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | 13% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA% (2009 est.)

Imports

$2.604 billion (2016 est.) | $2.826 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Imports - commodities

petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Russia 31.2%, China 13.9%, Kazakhstan 12.8%, Uzbekistan 5.2%, Iran 5.1% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

-3% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Industries

aluminum, cement, vegetable oil

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.9% (2016 est.) | 10.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Labor force

2.295 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 43% | industry: 10.6% | services: 46.4% (2016 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

31.5% (2016 est.)

Public debt

43.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$652.8 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $494.3 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Stock of broad money

$1.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $934.9 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$16.3 billion (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 57

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$2.272 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Stock of domestic credit

$1.711 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.401 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154

Stock of narrow money

$1.108 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $773 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Taxes and other revenues

32.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

Unemployment rate

2.4% (2016 est.) | 2.5% (2015 est.) | note: official rates; actual unemployment is much higher | country comparison to the world: 20

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.7 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Crude oil - exports

78.6 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Crude oil - production

180 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Crude oil - proved reserves

12 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 92

Electricity - consumption

12.94 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Electricity - exports

NA kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

7% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

93% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Electricity - imports

63 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5.5 million kW (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Electricity - production

16.98 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

189 million cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Natural gas - imports

212 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Natural gas - production

20 million cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 96

Refined petroleum products - consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Refined petroleum products - imports

21,980 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Refined petroleum products - production

445.8 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Area

total: 144,100 sq km | land: 141,510 sq km | water: 2,590 sq km | country comparison to the world: 97

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Climate

mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

mean elevation: 3,186 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m | highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

Environment - current issues

inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 71 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR

Irrigated land

7,420 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 4,130 km | border countries (4): Afghanistan 1,357 km, China 477 km, Kyrgyzstan 984 km, Uzbekistan 1,312 km

Land use

agricultural land: 34.7% | arable land 6.1%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 27.7% | forest: 2.9% | other: 62.4% (2011 est.)

Location

Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

earthquakes; floods

Natural resources

hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Population - distribution

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

Terrain

mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Administrative divisions

2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor), 1 capital region** (viloyati poytakht), and 1 area referred to as Districts Under Republic Administration***; Dushanbe**, Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan]* (Khorugh), Nohiyahoi Tobei Jumhuri***, Sughd (Khujand) | note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Capital

name: Dushanbe | geographic coordinates: 38 33 N, 68 46 E | time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tajikistan | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years or 3 years of continuous residence prior to application

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994 | amendments: 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 by the president or approval by at least at least two-thirds of the Assembly of Representatives membership; passage in a referendum requires participation of an absolute majority of eligible voters and an absolute majority of votes; note – constitutional articles including Tajikistan’s form of government, its territory, and its democratic nature cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2016 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan | conventional short form: Tajikistan | local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston | local short form: Tojikiston | former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic | etymology: the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Tajikistan literally means "Land of the Tajik [people]"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kevin COVERT (since 31 August 2017) | embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019 | mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189 | telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00 | FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Farhod SALIM (since 21 May 2014) | chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 | telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090 | FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992) | head of government: Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for 2 terms); election last held on 6 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2020); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 83.9%, Ismoil TALBAKOV (CPT) 5%, other 11.1%

Flag description

three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic number "seven" - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairmen, and 34 judges organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of the court chairman, vice president, and 5 judges); High Economic Court (consists of 16 judicial positions) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and High Economic Court judges nominated by the president of the republic and approved by the National Assembly; judges of all 3 courts appointed for 10-year renewable terms with no limit on terms, but last appointment must occur before the age of 65 | subordinate courts: regional and district courts; Dushanbe City Court; viloyat (province level) courts; Court of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the National Assembly or Majlisi Milli (34 seats; 25 members indirectly elected by local representative assemblies or majlisi, 8 appointed by the president, and 1 reserved for the former president; members serve 5-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by 2-round absolute majority vote and 22 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: National Assembly - last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in 2020); Assembly of Representatives - last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 65.4%, APT 11.7%, PERT 7.5%, SPT 5.5%, CPT 2.2%, DPT 1.7%, other 6%; seats by party - PDPT 51, APT 5, PERT 3, CPT 2, SPT 1, DPT 1

National anthem

name: "Surudi milli" (National Anthem) | lyrics/music: Gulnazar KELDI/Sulaimon YUDAKOV | 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

National holiday

Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

National symbol(s)

crown surmounted by an arc of seven, five-pointed stars; national colors: red, white, green

Political parties and leaders

Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Rustam LATIFZODA] | Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT [Miroj ABDULLOYEV] | Democratic Party of Tajikistan or DPT [SaidjafFar USMONZODA] | Party of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERT [Olimjon BOBOEV] | Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Ovezmammed MAMMEDOV] | People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON] | Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOIROV] | Socialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFFOROV]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Group 24 [Suhrob ZAFAR] (banned) | New Tajikistan Party [Zayd SAIDOV (jailed since 2013)] (unregistered) | Vatandor (Patriot) Movement [Dodojon ATOVULLOEV] | Youth for the Revival of Tajikistan [Maqsud IBROHIMOV - jailed in 2015] (banned) | Youth Party of Tajikistan [Izzat AMON] (unregistered) | Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan or IRPT [Muhiddin KABIRI - in exile] (banned)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. 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 the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 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 regional factions from 1992 to 1997. 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. In September 2015, government security forces rebuffed attacks by the Ministry of Interior led by a former high-ranking official in the Ministry of Defense. President Emomali RAHMON, who came to power during the civil war, used the attacks to ban the main opposition political party in Tajikistan. In May 2016, RAHMON further strengthened his position by having himself designated “Leader of the Nation” with limitless terms and lifelong immunity through constitutional amendments ratified in a referendum. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajiks working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the opiate trade in neighboring Afghanistan.

Military branches

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Forces (2013)

Military expenditures

1.22% of GDP (2015) | 1.13% of GDP (2014) | 1% of GDP (2012) | 1.09% of GDP (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; males required to undergo compulsory military training between ages 16 and 55; males can enroll in military schools from at least age 15 (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.33% (male 1,393,804/female 1,343,825) | 15-24 years: 18.61% (male 799,736/female 776,417) | 25-54 years: 40.12% (male 1,683,228/female 1,714,507) | 55-64 years: 5.62% (male 219,043/female 257,066) | 65 years and over: 3.32% (male 116,511/female 164,418) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

23.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.3% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 56

Contraceptive prevalence rate

27.9% (2012)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 62.5 | youth dependency ratio: 57.1 | elderly dependency ratio: 5.4 | potential support ratio: 18.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 93.1% of population | rural: 66.7% of population | total: 73.8% of population | urban: 6.9% of population | rural: 33.3% of population | total: 26.2% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 114

Ethnic groups

Tajik 84.3%, Uzbek 13.8% (includes Lakai, Kongrat, Katagan, Barlos, Yuz), other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<1000 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

14,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Health expenditures

6.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 85

Hospital bed density

5.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 31.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 35.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Languages

Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business | note: different ethnic groups speak Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Pashto

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.1 years | male: 64.9 years | female: 71.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99.8% | male: 99.8% | female: 99.7% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: malaria (2016)

Major urban areas - population

DUSHANBE (capital) 822,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

32 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Median age

total: 24.5 years | male: 23.9 years | female: 25.1 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.9 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tajikistani(s) | adjective: Tajikistani

Net migration rate

-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

14.2% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 128

Physicians density

1.71 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

8,468,555 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.62% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Religions

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 93.8% of population | rural: 95.5% of population | total: 95% of population | urban: 6.2% of population | rural: 4.5% of population | total: 5% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years | male: 12 years | female: 11 years (2013)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.63 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 16.7% | male: 19.2% | female: 13.7% (2009 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Urbanization

urban population: 27% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 2.72% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

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

Illicit drugs

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 17,002 (2016)

Airports

24 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 131

Airports - with paved runways

total: 17 | over 3,047 m: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 | under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EY (2016)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 802,470 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 105,376 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2013)

Railways

total: 680 km | broad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 103

Roadways

total: 27,767 km (2000) | country comparison to the world: 97

Waterways

200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 98