Results of the National Study on Media Consumption in Uzbekistan released today in Tashkent

2 November 2026, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Today, the official presentation of the first stage of the project "National Study of Media Consumption in Uzbekistan" took place in Tashkent which investigated the habits and preferences of the audience. At the event, the organizers outlined the data collection methodology and key findings.

Jakhongir Azimov, Director of the Mass Media Foundation in his address to the public in the event, emphasized that:

"The study, which carries an exploratory nature, is unique in its own way. It has provided an overall picture of developments in our country's media landscape, covering television, radio, print, and online media. The statistical indicators broken down by age, place of residence, and media consumption habits require very careful examination. We hope that the data obtained will serve as an important step toward understanding the population's media consumption habits. At the same time, there is room for further development. In order to gather even deeper and more complete data with regard to each medium, detailed studies are needed, and the Mass Media Foundation remains open to continue this work."

The survey took place from 8 to 19 September, 2026, through face-to-face interviews at respondents' places of residence. A total of 1,411 people aged 18 and older took part, living in both urban (53.9%) and rural (46.1%) areas across all 14 regions of the country. The multi-stage sample ensured representativeness of the data on a national level, making it possible to identify gender, age, and regional differences in media consumption.

"I hope that the findings presented today will serve as a practical resource for all stakeholders and encourage further cooperation towards a more informed, resilient and media-literate society. I would like to thank all the organisations, researchers and experts involved in this initiative for their work and commitment. The European Union is pleased to support this effort and contribute to strengthening the information environment in Uzbekistan," said Renata Wróbel, Chargée D'affaires a.i., EU Delegation to Uzbekistan.

The study confirmed a high level of public engagement with the news agenda: 50.4% of the population follow events in the country regularly, and 30.4% do so occasionally. At the same time, local audiences demonstrate a pronounced "multi-channel" approach, using a combination of traditional and digital media.

The main sources of news content named were Telegram channels (51.6%), television (44.6%), and social media (41.6%). A clear age gap is evident: young people aged 18-24 draw their information primarily from Telegram (66.2%) and social media (54.4%), while respondents over 55 remain loyal to television (77.4%) and the print press.

The study showed that, despite the growth of digital platforms, television retains a strong position. Television content is watched by 67.5% of respondents. Moreover, TV is the absolute leader in public trust: 44.3% of respondents trust it (by comparison, 11.3% trust Telegram channels and 7.4% trust news websites).

Among TV channels, the state channel "O'zbekiston 24" enjoys the greatest trust: 41.7% of viewers choose it as their main channel, and 52.8% consider it the most reliable source. In terms of overall TV preferences, national channels hold the leading positions, with Milliy TV, O'zbekiston 24, Zo'r TV, and Sevimli TV being the most in demand.

Radio occupies a relatively limited place in the population's media consumption. According to the study, 21.9% of respondents listen to radio programs, while 78.1% do not use this source of information. The highest share of radio listeners is among respondents aged 35-44 (26.9%), and the lowest is among young people aged 18-24 (16.7%).

Social media is used by 64.8% of surveyed citizens, while the share of Telegram messenger users reaches a record 86.1%. Telegram has firmly become part of everyday life as the main tool for getting news quickly; there, people most often read republican (national) news (55.2%) and follow the international agenda.

Among social networks, Instagram is the undisputed leader, used by 92.7% of social media users. The main reasons for turning to digital platforms were the speed of information delivery (48.6%) and the availability of content at any time (31.0%).

Overall, the population gives a positive assessment of the level of freedom of speech (49.7% consider it high). Noteworthy, society has a clear demand for high-quality, analytical content. Citizens note a lack of information about prices, employment, and social support (41.3%), as well as about the everyday problems of the population (40.6%).

Viewers and readers expect all types of media to take a more in-depth analytical approach (27.6%), to present different points of view objectively (22.5%), and to conduct journalistic investigations. The main problem respondents cited is the monotony of storylines and the frequent repetition of the same programmes on TV.

The main threat in the media sphere was identified as fake news. Almost half of respondents (46.6%) named the spread of fake news as the most pressing problem of modern media. Respondents most often encounter false information on YouTube, Telegram, and social media. In response to this challenge, 77.4% of study participants spoke in favor of tougher liability for media outlets that spread unreliable information.

This study was critically important: for the first time, it has shown an objective picture of how society seeks out and consumes information amid the rapid digital transformation of the media environment.

At the same time, the main challenge for all participants in the media market is becoming the fight for audience trust. The study's results can serve as an important guide for newsrooms in improving content policy, developing analytical journalism, and introducing strict fact-checking standards.

The second stage of the project will consist of training sessions for journalists, press service staff, and bloggers in six regions of Uzbekistan.

The full report is available on the official website of the Mass Media Foundation via www.massmedia.uz

"National Study of Media Consumption in Uzbekistan" Project is a joint initiative of the Public Foundation for the Support and Development of National Mass Media, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan, the Center for the Production of Content for Mass Media under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.