Tajikistan - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Tajikistan. Landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR. Mother's mean age at first birth is 23.2 years (2017 est.) (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 17 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Tajikistan
Location Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan
Geographic coordinates 39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references Asia
Tarrain 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
Natural Resources hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Natural Hazards earthquakes; floods
Irrigated Land 5,690 sq km (2020)
Major rivers (by length in km) 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
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 4,130 km
Border Countries Afghanistan 1,357 km; China 477 km; Kyrgyzstan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1,312 km
Coastline 0 km (landlocked)
Climate mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Area
Total Area
Land Area 141,510 sq km
Water Area 2,590 sq km
comparative Area slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Maritime Claims
Elevations
Highest point Qullai Somoniyon 7,495 m
Lowest point Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
Mean elevation 3,186 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 34.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 6.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 27.7% (2018 est.)
Forest 2.9% (2018 est.)
Other 62.4% (2018 est.)
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

People and Society

In Tajikistan, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Tajik 84.3% (includes Pamiri and Yagnobi), Uzbek 13.8%, other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2014 est.)

Population
Pop 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.)
Health expenditure 8.2% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 4.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Total fertility rate 3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 1.73 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 29.3% (2017)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 72% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
Net Migration rate -2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Tajikistani | Tajikistani(s)
Languages
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 65.9
Youth dependency ratio 60.4
Elderly dependency ratio 5.5
Potential support ratio 18.1 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 22.8 years (2024 est.)
Male 22.3 years
Female 23.2 years
Urbanization
Urban population 28.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 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.)
Infant Motality
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
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 96.5% of population
Improved: rural rural: 79.9% of population
Improved: total total: 84.4% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 3.5% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 20.1% of population
Unimproved: total total: 15.6% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 98.9% of population
Improved: rural rural: 99.6% of population
Improved: total total: 99.4% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 1.1% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 0.4% of population
Unimproved: total total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)
Major Infectious diseases
Degree of risk high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 0.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 0.1%
Women married by age 18 8.7% (2017 est.)
Demographic profile

Tajikistan has a youthful age structure with almost 50% of the population under the age of 25.  As a Soviet republic, Tajikistan had the highest fertility rate in the Soviet Union.  The total fertility rate – the average number of births per woman – was highest in the mid-1970s, when it reached 6.3.  In an effort to expand populations to meet economic goals, the Soviets provided resources that made large families affordable.  The fertility rate decreased to 5 by the time of independence in 1991 and continued to decline thereafter.  In 1996, the Tajik Government discontinued subsidies for large families and having several children became too expensive.  The loss of subsidies, the 5-year civil war that followed independence, and other factors caused fertility to continue to fall steadily, but it remains above replacement level at 2.5.  The availability of healthcare providers and family planning services is limited, contributing to couples having more children than they would like.  As of 2017, 21% of women were using contraceptives.

Tajikistan’s ethnic make-up changed with the Soviet’s introduction of industrialization.  Large numbers of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants arrived in the mid-1920s. Some were forced to immigrate while others came voluntarily to work in the cotton industry and in Tajikistan’s Soviet Government.  The Russian and Ukrainian immigrants formed urban communities, while Tajiks and Uzbeks continued to live predominantly in rural areas.  In addition, thousands of Tatars and Germans were deported to Tajikistan, accused of Nazi complicity during WWII. 

Tajikistan’s ethnic composition was later shaped by the post-independence civil war from 1992-1997 and the economic devastation that followed.  Most non-Tajik ethnic groups, including Uzbeks, Russians, Kyrgyz, and Ukrainians, fled to Russia and other former Soviet republics and many never returned, making the country overwhelming Tajik; approximately 80% of the population was Tajik by 2000. 

Since the mid-1990s, labor has probably been Tajikistan’s main export.  Remittances accounted for 30% of GDP in 2018 and are Tajikistan’s largest source of external income.  Poverty, a lack of jobs, and higher wages abroad push Tajiks to emigrate.  Russia – particularly Moscow – is the main destination, while a smaller number of religious Muslims, usually of Uzbek ancestry, migrate to Uzbekistan.  The vast majority of labor migrants are unskilled or low-skilled young men who work primarily in construction but also agriculture, transportation, and retail.  Many Tajik families are dependent on the money they send home for necessities, such as food and clothing, as well as for education and weddings rather than investment.

All Important Facts about Tajikistan

Want to know more about Tajikistan? Check all different factbooks for Tajikistan below.

Tajikistan is found in Central Asia