Background: 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 (known as 'basmachi') fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first established as an autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924, but in 1929 the Soviet Union made Tajikistan as 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 after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the country experienced a civil war among political, regional, and religious factions from 1992 to 1997. Despite Tajikistan's general elections for both the presidency (once every seven years) and legislature (once every five years), observers note an electoral system rife with irregularities and abuse, and results that are neither free nor fair. President Emomali RAHMON, who came to power in 1992 during the civil war and was first elected president in 1994, used an attack planned by a disaffected deputy defense minister in 2015 to ban the last major opposition party in Tajikistan. 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 made RAHMON's first-born son Rustam EMOMALI, the mayor of the capital city of Dushanbe, eligible to run for president in 2020. RAHMON orchestrated EMOMALI's selection in 2020 as chairman of the Majlisi Milli (the upper chamber of Tajikistan's parliament), positioning EMOMALI as next in line of succession for the presidency. RAHMON opted to run in the presidential election later that year and received 91% of the vote. The country remains the poorest of the former Soviet republics. Tajikistan became a member of the WTO in 2013, but its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistani migrant laborers in Russia and Kazakhstan, pervasive corruption, the opiate trade, and 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 informal leaders in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. Tajikistan suffered its first ISIS-claimed attack in 2018, when assailants attacked a group of Western bicyclists, killing four. Friction between forces on the border between Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic flared up in 2021, culminating in fatal clashes between border forces in 2021 and 2022.

Area
Total: 144,100 km²
Land: 141,510 km²
Water: 2,590 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries
Total: 4,130 km
Border countries (4): (4) Afghanistan 1,357 km; China 477 km; Kyrgyzstan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1,312 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Terrain: mountainous region dominated by the Alay Mountains in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofirnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Elevation
Highest point: Qullai Somoniyon 7,495 m
Lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
Mean elevation: 3,186 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 27.9% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 6.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1.5% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 20.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 3.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 69% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,681 km² (2022)

Major rivers: Syr Darya (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) - 3,078 km; Amu Darya river source (shared with Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Natural hazards: earthquakes; floods

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

Population
Total: 10,394,063 (2024 est.)
Male: 5,221,818
Female: 5,172,245
Distribution: the population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as many as 90% living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west
Growth rate: 1.92% (2024 est.)

Languages: Tajik (official) 84.4%, Uzbek 11.9%, Kyrgyz 0.8%, Russian 0.5%, other 2.4% (2010 est.)
Major-language sample(s): ; Китоби Фактҳои Ҷаҳонӣ, манбаи бебадали маълумоти асосӣ (Tajik); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: Russian widely used in government and business

Religions: Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.9% (male 1,953,472/female 1,877,192)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 3,086,964/female 3,071,642)
65 years and over: 3.9% (2024 est.) (male 181,382/female 223,411)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 68.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 62.2 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 15.2 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 22.3 years
Female: 23.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.92% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 25.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: the population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as many as 90% living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

Urbanization
Urban population: 28.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 987,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 14 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 70.1 years
Female: 73.8 years

Total fertility rate: 3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 4.4% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 23.4% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 18.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0.6% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.2% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 11.7% (2024 est.); 11.6% (2023 est.); 11.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Dushanbe
Geographic coordinates: 38 33 N, 68 46 E
Time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name means Monday in Persian; today's city was originally at the crossroads where a large bazaar was held on Mondays, or the second day (du) after Saturday (shambe)

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 (Bokhtar), Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan]* (Khorugh), Nohiyahoi Tobei Jumhuri***, Sughd (Khujand)
Note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 16 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly Chairman since 20 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
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 7-year term (two-term limit), but as the 'Leader of the Nation,' president has no term limit; prime minister appointed by the president
Most recent election date: 11 October 2020
2020: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 92.1%, Rustam LATIFZODA (APT) 3.1%, other 4.8%
2013: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON (PDPT) 84%, Ismoil TALBAKOV CPT) 5%, other 11%
Expected date of next election: 2,027

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Supreme Council (Majlisi Oli)
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown under seven five-pointed gold stars is in the center of the white stripe

National anthem
Title: 'Surudi milli' (National Anthem)
Lyrics/music: Gulnazar KELDI/Sulaimon YUDAKOV
History: adopted 1994; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem, but adopted new lyrics

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 8.4% (2024 est.); 8.3% (2023 est.); 8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 8.4% (2024 est.); 8.3% (2023 est.); 8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 89.6% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 10.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 28.3% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 3.4% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -48.4% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.9% (2023 est.)
Industry: 33.6% (2023 est.)
Services: 34.7% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: aluminum, cement, coal, gold, silver, antimony, textile, vegetable oil

Industrial production growth rate: 9.9% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 2.78 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 11.7% (2024 est.); 11.6% (2023 est.); 11.7% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 11.7% (2024 est.); 11.6% (2023 est.); 11.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $2.911 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $3.036 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 10.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $1.618 billion (2024 est.); $2.105 billion (2023 est.); $1.753 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: gold, precious metal ore, aluminum, lead ore, antimony (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $6.907 billion (2024 est.); $5.931 billion (2023 est.); $5.261 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: garments, footwear, cars, wheat, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 6.481 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 15.275 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 3.101 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 714.025 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 3.94 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 99%
Access electrification - rural areas: 100%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 92.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 2.394 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 2.297 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 475,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 147,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 4.075 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 31,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 12 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 18.476 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 43.767 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 24.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 8.616 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 4.676 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 3.855 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 16.192 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 502,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 11.6 million (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 57% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 6,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Military expenditures: 1.8% of GDP (2024 est.); 2% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.9% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 19 (2025)

Heliports: 1 (2025)

Railways
Total: 680 km (2014)
Broad gauge: 680 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge