According to research, residents of Uzbekistan allocate almost half of their budget to purchasing food products. According to an assessment by Visual Capitalist, based on statistics from the US Department of Agriculture for 2025, the share of food expenses in the country reaches 44.8%, placing Uzbekistan seventh among 103 surveyed states.
Only six countries spend more than this percentage on food. Among the leaders are countries such as Nigeria with a rate of 56.2%, Myanmar (54.8%), Laos (53.9%), Kenya (48.7%), Turkmenistan (46.3%), and Tanzania (45.8%). Kazakhstan ranks tenth in the rating with a food expenditure share of 41.7%.
However, national statistics from Uzbekistan show a different picture. According to data from the National Committee of Statistics of Uzbekistan, in 2025, households spend 56.5% of their consumer spending on food, which is 11.7 percentage points higher than the Visual Capitalist estimate.
This discrepancy is due to differences in calculation methodology. The USDA considers only food intended for home consumption, excluding spending on meals in cafes and restaurants, as well as on alcohol and tobacco from the international study.
For contrast, in several countries, food expenses account for less than ten percent of the total budget: in Ireland, this figure is 8.3%, in the USA—6.4%, and in Singapore—6.3%.
The comparison also shows regional differences: in Nigeria, the share of food expenses is more than three times that of South Africa (17%), and in Asia, Myanmar residents spend nearly ten times more on food than Singapore residents.
Differences in spending structure between countries are often explained by Engel's Law, which states that the higher the household income, the smaller the percentage of the budget allocated to food. Nevertheless, in absolute terms, affluent families may spend more on food than low-income families, so the percentage of expenditure does not always accurately reflect the real cost of the food basket.
Furthermore, a high proportion of spending on food may indicate financial vulnerability among the population, as significant food expenditures amplify the restrictive effect of price increases on other essential needs.
In the context of other indicators, Uzbekistan has previously lowered its ranking in the passport index, taking 82nd place out of 106, while citizens of the country have access to 57 destinations without the need for a prior visa or with the possibility of entry on arrival.