Tajik residents are spending more and more on services: in the first seven months of 2025, the amount reached 16.4 billion somoni. Almost one in three somoni goes to daily needs: repairs, laundry and hairdressers. But the gap between the regions is huge: if in Dushanbe expenditures per capita amount to 8,280 somoni, then in Khatlon and GBAO – less than 500.
The main customer is the population, and the supplier is private companies.
According to the Agency of Statistics under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, in January–July 2025, the volume of public spending on services amounted to 16.4 billion somoni, which is almost 17% more than a year ago. The price index reached 104.2% during this period.
Most of the services in Tajikistan are provided by ordinary citizens. In January–July 2025, residents of the country used services for 11.7 billion somoni, which is more than two thirds of the total volume.
Most of the services are provided by private companies. They account for more than 80% of all services, while the services of State-owned enterprises account for only about 18%. The contribution of small and medium–sized businesses is especially noticeable – they provided almost 5 billion somoni of turnover.
Capital and regions: a significant gap
Dushanbe remains the main center of the service economy. In the capital, 10.4 billion somoni worth of services were provided in the first 7 months of 2025, which is 22% more than a year ago. For comparison, in the Sughd region, this figure was 3.3 billion, in Khatlon – 1.7 billion, in the regions of republican subordination – about 872 million, and in GBAO – 100 million somoni.
The average cost of services in the country for January–July of this year was about 1,577 somoni per person. Against this background, the gap between the regions becomes especially noticeable: in Dushanbe, there are 8,280 somoni per capita, in the Sughd region – a little more than 1,000, in Khatlon – less than 500, and in GBAO and districts of republican subordination – about 400 somoni each. Thus, the capital is almost five times ahead of the average level.
Which services are the most in demand
The main item of expenditure for residents of the country is household services. In the first seven months of 2025, they spent 3.7 billion somoni, which is almost 20% more than a year ago. This includes hairdressing services, clothing and shoe repairs, dry cleaning, furniture and appliance repair shops, and other daily services.
Communication services are in second place – almost 2.9 billion somoni. These are telephone, Internet, mobile communications and other digital services. This is followed by banking services, which showed the most impressive growth – more than one and a half times, to 2.6 billion somoni. This category includes transfers, loans, fees, and card servicing.
Significant amounts are also spent on transport – 1.9 billion somoni, mainly on passenger transportation. Education cost the citizens 1.3 billion, and medicine – more than 700 million somoni. Utility bills, legal advice and other services fell into the category of "other services" – their volume amounted to about three billion somoni.
In general, the cost structure looks like this: almost every third somoni is spent on household needs, and another third on communications and banking operations. Everything else is divided between transport, education, medicine and other areas.
This is what the percentage cost structure looks like:
– household services – 22.6%;
– communication – 17.7%;
– banking services – 15.9%;
– transport – 11.6%;
– education – 7.9%;
– medicine – 4.3%;
– other services – 18.6%.
Everyday spending is most important
In Tajikistan, household services occupy the first place among all types of services, and this is understandable. The incomes of the population here are noticeably lower than in developed countries, so people primarily spend money on what they need every day – washing, repairs, hairdressers, transport.
This sector is available everywhere, even in small towns and villages. More expensive services, such as medical or educational services, remain less widespread: they are used less often and not always when possible.
If we compare the situation with other countries, the picture in developed economies is completely different. In Europe, the bulk of family expenses are spent on housing, medicine, education, and financial services. Household services there take up only 5-8% of the budget. For example, in the United States, healthcare costs reach 15-20%, and household services are classified as small additional expenses.
In Central Asian countries, the structure is closer to that of Tajikistan. In Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, household services and transport are in the first place. In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the costs of banks, education and medicine are growing more and more noticeably, while in Turkmenistan most of the services are generally concentrated in the public sector – these are utility bills, transport and communications.
