Uzbekistan, Tashkent – Podrobno.uz. The Central Bank has released its review of cash circulation for the first quarter of 2026. Amid rapid digital service development and growth of non-cash payments, the republic has recorded a notable change in citizens' preferences for paper money. Although the share of cash in the total money supply fell to 16.9%, demand for certain denominations continues to grow steadily.

According to the regulator, the 100,000-soum banknote remains the absolute leader in Uzbek wallets, accounting for 36.2% of the total volume. The second place is firmly held by 200,000-soum notes, whose share in circulation increased from 28.5% to 30.6% over the year.

Overall, experts note a trend toward larger denominations: the total number of banknotes in the country decreased by 262 million units, and the total mass now stands at 2.18 billion units. The Central Bank attributes this to active optimization of cash turnover, during which old and small notes are gradually being replaced by more convenient large denominations.

Earlier, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan also reported that citizens' preferences are shifting toward larger banknotes.

Source: podrobno.uz