Tajikistan

Tajikistan, the smallest country in Central Asia, is landlocked and mountainous. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and the People's Republic of China to the east.

Tajikistan has been under the rule of various empires throughout its history, the longest period of which was under the Persian Empire. In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to spread into Central Asia and eventually took control of Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional sectors from 1992 through 1997. Emomali Rahmonov came to power in 1992 and continues to rule to this day. In 1994, Tajikistan adopted a new constitution that restored the office of the president, transformed the Soviet-era Supreme Soviet into the Supreme Assembly (Majlisi Oli), recognised civil liberties and property rights, and provided for a judicial system that was not fully independent.

Tajikistan has an approximate population of 10 million people as of 2022. The main ethnic group is presented by Tajiks. The official language of Tajikistan is the Tajik language, while Russian is largely spoken for business and government purposes. The Tajik population also consists of an Uzbek minority and a small population of Russians, whose numbers are declining due to migration. Tajikistan has a high rate of literacy, with an estimated 99.88% of the population having the ability to read and write. The English-speaking population is mostly based in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Tajikistan's currency is the somoni (TJS).

Tajikistan is a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) Partnership for Peace programme. Nearly half of the labour force of Tajikistan works abroad, with Russia being the primary migration destination. Other destinations include Kazakhstan, UAE, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the United States.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of Tajikistan reached around 10.5 billion United States dollars (USD) in 2022. The economy of Tajikistan is represented by a large aluminium plant, hydropower facilities, and a few light industry and food processing factories. Consequently, Tajikistan's primary industrial output and export items are aluminium and textiles. Mineral resources include silver, antimony, mercury, lead, zinc, rock salt, gold, molybdenum, tungsten, iron, tin, boron, strontium, fluorspar, precious and semi-precious stones, bituminous coal, anthracite, graphite, mineral wax, and phosphates. The agricultural sector employs most of the population in Tajikistan. Despite its mountainous territory, Tajikistan successfully grows cotton, which comprises about 50% of the total agricultural production.

According to the Statistical Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, in 2021 export of goods in Tajikistan reached USD 2.1 billion, while import reached USD 4.2 billion. Tajikistan export operations are mainly comprised of cotton, mineral products, base metal, and electricity. The import of goods is represented by crude oil and wheat. The largest trade partners of Tajikistan are China, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

PwC does not have an office in Tajikistan. However, PwC Kazakhstan has a dedicated team responsible for providing consulting services relating to Tajikistan issues.