Turkmenistan Ranked the Worst Country in Central Asia for Relocation

Turkmenistan Ranked the Worst Country in Central Asia for Relocation Turkmenistan has ranked last among Central Asian countries in the Global Relocation Index 2026, an international ranking assessing countries in terms of their suitability for relocation and long-term living. Fergana.News reported the findings, citing research conducted by Rumavi. The authors of the index assessed 192 countries and territories across 24 criteria, grouped into four main categories: financial conditions and taxation, quality of life and healthcare, safety and stability, and opportunities for relocation and adaptation. Among the five Central Asian countries, the results were as follows: Kazakhstan — 62.9 points; Uzbekistan — 59.9; Kyrgyzstan — 59.3; Tajikistan — 55.1; Turkmenistan — 52.3. Turkmenistan therefore ranked last in the region. The Ranking Reflects a Deeper Problem Turkmenistan’s low position deserves attention not merely as a statistical indicator. It once again raises questions about the actual living conditions in a country that state-controlled media regularly portray as a nation of stability, prosperity and social development. For citizens of Turkmenistan, however, the issue is often not how attractive the country is to foreigners considering relocation, but how freely Turkmen citizens themselves are able to travel. For many years, human rights defenders have documented restrictions on leaving the country, difficulties in obtaining or renewing passports, and other administrative barriers affecting freedom of movement. These problems are compounded by economic hardship, a lack of transparency in state institutions, restricted access to independent information, shortcomings in healthcare and social services, and the absence of effective mechanisms to protect citizens from arbitrary actions by state authorities. Why Are Citizens Leaving? It is particularly significant that Turkmenistan, despite possessing substantial natural gas reserves, has faced large-scale labour migration for many years. Thousands of citizens seek employment and opportunities to build a better future outside the country. Families are separated across Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Russia, European countries and elsewhere. At the same time, the authorities publish virtually no comprehensive and independently verifiable statistics on migration. This raises an obvious question: why are citizens of one of the region’s most resource-rich countries compelled to seek a decent life abroad? The Official Narrative and Reality Turkmenistan’s state media regularly report economic achievements, the construction of new facilities and improvements in living standards. Independent international assessments, however, reveal another side of the situation. Turkmenistan’s last-place ranking among Central Asian countries in the Global Relocation Index 2026 should serve as another reason for the authorities not to conceal existing problems, but to acknowledge and address them openly. The Human Rights Platform of the Dayanç / Turkmenistan Civil Movement calls on the Turkmen authorities to focus not on maintaining the country’s image, but first and foremost on improving the actual living conditions of its citizens. The authorities must guarantee freedom of movement, end unjustified restrictions on leaving the country, ensure that citizens can obtain and renew their identity and travel documents in a timely manner, increase the transparency and accountability of state institutions, and provide genuine protection for social, economic and civil rights. The central question is not why Turkmenistan ranked last in Central Asia. The real question is: what are the authorities prepared to do so that citizens of Turkmenistan are no longer compelled to seek a dignified and safe life outside their own country? Source: Fergana.News, 6 August 2026; Global Relocation Index 2026 (Rumavi).