Central Asia has emerged as a key region where the convergence of geopolitics and development cooperation is most visible. Major powers are redefining their approaches: Japan combines official development assistance (ODA) with commercial partnerships to advance connectivity and reform; the EU is...

Prior to independence, Tajikistan's role within the Soviet Union (1928-1991) was primarily that of an agrarian republic supplying cotton (often referred to as white gold), minerals, labor migrants, and soldiers. Cotton production was intensively water-consuming and sustained through large-scale...

The Country Opinion Survey in Tajikistan assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in better understanding how stakeholders in Tajikistan perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private...

This report provides a better understanding of ways in which to address the gender and social dimensions of climate change in key sectors of the Tajik economy. It focuses on the impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, particularly on women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, and...

Manuscript type: Research Article Research Aims: This study investigates the impact of social media and online marketing, particularly Online Information Quality (OIQ) and User-Friendly Accessibility (UFA), on the Behavioral Intentions of domestic youth tourists in Dushanbe, Tajikistan....

This paper explores how the health-related component of human capital affects economic performance in all five Central Asian countries. In particular, it analyzes the impact of life expectancy on overall GDP and output per worker, which characterizes labor productivity. The time frame includes...

This paper rethinks development finance in Tajikistan through the lens of fiscal sociology, arguing that sustained reliance on foreign aid and external borrowing may weaken state-society trust and erode institutional legitimacy. Anchored in the political economy of development finance, the paper...

Tajikistan has continued to navigate the challenging external environment well. Real GDP rose 8.4 percent during January-September 2024, while inflation remained well-contained at 3.1 percent (y/y) in September. Robust remittances have boosted the external position, with FX reserves at more than...

In contrast to most Central, Eastern and Southeastern European (CESEE) economies, Central Asia (CA) - comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - has witnessed quite robust demographic as well as economic growth in the period from 2019 to 2024. This period was...

Despite far-reaching banking sector reforms over the past few years, financial intermediation in Tajikistan continues to lag behind structural peers and the Caucasus and Central Asia region. At the same time, bank interest rate spreads, a standard measure of financial intermediation costs, have...

Ankara’s role in Central Asia is often assessed through the "Great Game" lens, in which Turkey is supposed to challenge the influence of Russia and China. On the one hand, such a perspective attests to the growing role of Turkey in the region. On the other hand, this view ignores the agency of...

This paper explores the challenges China faces with regard to its Afghanistan strategy after the US withdrawal in August 2021. Beijing has seen Afghanistan as a strategic asset in relation to China's BRI project, given the country's enormous natural resources which have gone unexploited due to...

Der russische Krieg gegen die Ukraine und die geopolitischen Verschiebungen auf dem eurasischen Kontinent haben Zentralasien wieder verstärkt in den Fokus Deutschlands und der EU gerückt. Die strategische Regionalpartnerschaft der Bundesrepublik mit Zentralasien, die im vergangenen Herbst...

The assistance assessed Tajikistan's public investment management practices and their climate sensitivity using the Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) with the Climate Module (C-PIMA). Tajikistan was found to perform well in some areas of the PIMA and C-PIMA, but there were gaps in...

This report summarizes findings from a Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) and the Climate Module (C-PIMA) conducted for Tajikistan. The assessment evaluated the country's public investment management practices, including their climate sensitivity. Tajikistan performs well in certain...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated global dynamics that profoundly impact the post-Soviet South. Relations with Russia are still strong, but the former subalterns are raising their voices. The empowerment is most visible in their foreign relations, but also tends to strengthen...

Tajikistan holds the eighth position globally in terms of hydropower potential, estimated at 527 terawatt-hours (TWh), with a technically exploitable capacity of 317 TWh. Only 4-6 percent of this immense potential is currently utilized. In this paper, employing a combination of the Johansen...

Tajikistan's economic performance remains favorable as remittance inflows and public investment continue to support domestic demand but there is uncertainty over the outlook in the context of heightened geopolitical tensions. Public debt is sustainable but sizeable investment needs constrain...

Russia's war against Ukraine and the geopolitical shifts on the Eurasian continent have brought Central Asia back into the focus of Germany and the EU. Germany's strategic regional partnership with Central Asia, which was announced last autumn, offers promising potential for cooperation....

Der russische Krieg gegen die Ukraine und die geopolitischen Verschiebungen auf dem eurasischen Kontinent haben Zentralasien wieder verstärkt in den Fokus Deutschlands und der EU gerückt. Die strategische Regionalpartnerschaft der Bun­desrepublik mit Zentralasien, die im vergangenen Herbst...

Women entrepreneurs in Tajikistan confront disproportionate challenges in their businesses compared to their male counterparts, with cross-border traders being no exception. The World Bank initiated the Fourth Phase of the Central Asia Regional Links Program in 2020, aiming to boost Tajikistan's...

This 2022 Article IV Consultation discusses that Tajikistan continued to experience strong growth in 2022, with minimal disruption from the war in Ukraine as strong financial inflows supported domestic demand and liquidity. Fiscal space remains limited due to debt sustainability concerns, and...

This report summarizes the main challenges that men- and women-led companies (also referred to as traders or trade firms) and customs brokers face in undertaking cross-border trade of merchandise goods in the Republic of Tajikistan. The report also provides recommendations to address these...

Private sector participation in the Tajik economy is relatively large, but dynamism is very low. Analysis with micro-level data points to multiple weaknesses: low entry rate, low productivity, limited integration to trade, low incidence of innovation, and limited capabilities. Also revealing is...

This report outlines the main results of a study conducted to assess the potential role of landscape restoration/nature-based solutions/green infrastructure in the Vakhsh River Basin, Tajikistan, to reduce the impacts of soil erosion on the hydropower cascade, increase agricultural productivity,...

The Air Quality Management (AQM) system in Tajikistan needs strengthening in its key policy and institutional as well as technical aspects to reduce health impacts of air pollution in the most polluted airsheds (Dushanbe and other urban centers). The World Bank's first engagement to strengthen...

This paper examines the effect of exposure to extremist ideologies on the integration of Afghan refugees in Tajikistan, using a 2023 census following the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan. It finds that Afghan refugees born in provinces with increased Taliban territorial control between 2017 and...

"A translocal ethnography about Tajik migrants' engagement in projects of reform Islamic life in Dubai, the book maps Gulf migration onto larger geographies of Muslim mobility, piety and belonging across places in Eurasia, the Gulf, and wider Middle East. Spatializing the intersection of...

This independent evaluation covers the EU cooperation with Tajikistan for the period 2014-2020. The EU and Tajikistan have a longstanding relationship based on strong mutual interest. The EU has been among the few donors actively supporting the country to fulfil its ambition to establish...

The economic role and prospects of Central Asia are still not fully appreciated by the world. Over the last 20 years, the countries of the region have made significant progress in their development, and have far-reaching growth prospects. The region’s GDP has been increasing at an average rate...