Network Uzbekistan
Qualitative market research agency in Uzbekistan
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Uzbekistan, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and UX research, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Uzbekistan has 37.2 million people, the largest population in Central Asia, with a median age of 27.0, and 89.0 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Half of the country is under 27, and Instagram counts 14.1 million users. Uzbek is written in two alphabets, Latin and Cyrillic, and Russian is common in Tashkent offices, so language and script are settled before stimulus is produced.
AT A GLANCE
Uzbekistan at a glance for researchers
- Population. 37.2 million people, median age 27.0, 50.8 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Tashkent, the capital, is the largest city of Central Asia. Samarkand and Bukhara lie on the old trade route to the west, and the Fergana Valley, with Namangan, Andijan and Fergana, holds close to a third of the population. Half of Uzbekistan lives in rural areas. Tashkent lies in the north-east, two hours from Samarkand by fast train.
- Languages. Uzbek for most sessions, in Latin or Cyrillic script, with Russian used by many professionals in Tashkent. Tajik is spoken in Samarkand and Bukhara and Karakalpak in the north-west, and participants there are asked which language they prefer. Our moderators live in Uzbekistan.
- Internet and mobile. 33.1 million people use the internet, 89.0 per cent of the population, and there are 33.9 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Median download speeds are 55.51 Mbps on mobile and 86.71 Mbps on fixed lines (same source). Social media counts 14.1 million user identities, 37.9 per cent of the population, and messaging channels carry much of the news, shopping and customer service.
- Where fieldwork happens. Tashkent first, then Samarkand, and Namangan or Andijan for the Fergana Valley. Bukhara or Nukus are added when the decision is national, and villages are reached from the nearest town. Outside Tashkent, sessions take place in hotel or office meeting rooms.
- Data protection. Law No. ZRU-547 on Personal Data, effective since 1 October 2019, applies. We explain what is recorded and why, and take each participant's consent before we start.
- Timing. Fieldwork is never booked during Ramadan. Navruz on 21 March and the two Eid holidays close offices, and 1 September is Independence Day. July is the hottest month, so sessions then are held in the morning or the evening.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Uzbekistan?
In Uzbekistan, the bazaar and the phone work side by side. People compare prices in the market, order from a seller they follow online and pay by transfer from a banking app, often in the same afternoon. A study in Uzbekistan follows one purchase through all three.
- Follow one purchase. The interview starts with the last thing the participant bought in the category: where they saw it, whom they asked, how they paid. A shop-along then covers the bazaar, the supermarket and the delivery. Screenshots of chats with sellers are shared only with the participant's agreement.
- Uzbek, Russian and two scripts. Each participant chooses the language. Stimulus in Uzbek is prepared in the script the brand uses, and both scripts are shown when the choice is open, because age groups differ in which they read with ease. Before fieldwork, each translation is read by a native speaker.
- Tashkent and the valley. Tashkent is better paid and more Russian-speaking. The Fergana Valley is dense, younger and Uzbek-speaking. Each is recruited by people who live there, through contacts in the neighbourhood. Samarkand and Bukhara add a third read, where Tajik is also spoken and visitors shape part of the trade.
- Family decisions. Large purchases are often decided by several generations in one household. The screener records who lives in the home, and interviews ask who suggested, who agreed and who paid. Home visits are arranged through an introduction, at a time the household chooses.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Uzbekistan?
- We recruit through local partners in Tashkent, Samarkand and the Fergana Valley, by city, language, age and category use. A call the day before confirms every appointment, and the quotas are fixed with you first. In residential neighbourhoods, recruitment goes through people the community knows.
- Business participants are contacted one by one, and we verify each person's role before booking the interview. People who join studies regularly are kept out of consumer groups. Shopkeepers and bazaar traders are met at their stalls, outside the busiest hours.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Uzbekistan?
Most studies in Uzbekistan run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, UX research or ethnographic home visits when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, telecoms, retail and B2B audiences, by video or in person | One language and one script used for everyone |
| Focus groups | Advertising, concepts and food and drink ideas in Tashkent and Samarkand | A Tashkent group standing in for the country |
| Shop-alongs | Bazaars, supermarkets and neighbourhood shops | The days before Navruz, when baskets are festive |
| UX research | Banking, payment and marketplace apps on the participant's own phone | A prototype tested without the local payment methods |
| Home visits | Cooking, hosting and household spending | Skipping the introduction through a neighbour or a relative |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Uzbekistan
How much does market research cost in Uzbekistan?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Uzbekistan added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. A second city and a second language move the price more than extra sessions in Tashkent. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Uzbekistan?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A local polling company fits a household survey. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Uzbekistan that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Should research in Uzbekistan run in Uzbek or in Russian?
In Uzbekistan, every participant picks the language of their session. Uzbek is the language of most consumers, in every region; Russian is preferred by some professionals in Tashkent. The question is put at recruitment, the moderator is matched, and your team listens through simultaneous interpretation.
Is Tashkent enough for research in Uzbekistan?
Tashkent gives a sound first read of better-paid city buyers. For a national decision in Uzbekistan, add the Fergana Valley, where close to a third of the population lives, or Samarkand. Each has its own local recruiters. For a first study, two cities usually do.
Which script should stimulus use in Uzbekistan?
Stimulus in Uzbekistan uses the script your brand uses in the market. Latin is the official alphabet and is taught at school; Cyrillic is still read with ease by many adults. When a brand has not decided, both versions are shown and participants are asked which they read faster. Written answers are accepted in either script.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Uzbekistan told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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