Uzbekistan banking and fintech apps multi-languages support trends

Analysing Uzbekistan banking and fintech apps’ multi languages support trends across 41 banks and fintech companies. 

Uzbekistan’s fintech sector is undergoing a significant transformation. With digital adoption on the rise and a population that is linguistically diverse, the ability of banking and fintech apps to support multiple languages has become not just a user experience advantage, but a necessity. This article delves into the current state and future trajectory of multilingual support in Uzbekistan’s fintech ecosystem.

Overview of languages spoken in Uzbekistan

Data from July and September 2024, as reported by Tilmoch.ai , the Central Asian languages translator platform, reveals the following insights.

Uzbek: The official and widely used language

Uzbek, written in a Latin script, is the state language and the most widely spoken across the country. It’s the default for government services and educational systems, making it an essential language for any app targeting the national market.

Furthermore, Uzbek participates in 6 out of 12 language pairs on the platform, positioning it as a key language within the regional translation landscape and potentially reflecting Uzbekistan’s increasing significance in regional business and communication.

Russian: Important for business and urban areas

Despite Uzbek’s official standing, Russian maintains a strong presence in urban centers, business settings, and among older demographics. The Russian-Uzbek language pair (ru-uz) exhibits the highest translation volume in the Business category (4014), suggesting robust economic connections or a substantial transfer of business knowledge from Russian to Uzbek markets.

Uzbekistan drops in English language rankings

EF English Proficiency Index (2024), Uzbekistan fell to 98th out of 114 countries, down from 93rd the previous year, with a slight drop in the national average score from 442 to 439, corresponding to the B1 level on the CEFR scale. The report analysed results from 7,339 Uzbek participants aged 18 and above.

Technology dominance in English and Russian to Uzbek translations

The substantial volume of technology-related translations into Uzbek from both English and Russian points towards Uzbekistan’s growing role as a regional technology center. Technology stands out as the most frequently translated category for English-Uzbek (en-uz) with 1800 instances and ranks second for Russian-Uzbek (ru-uz) with 3561, underscoring Uzbekistan’s dedication to technological progress and the assimilation of knowledge from English and Russian sources.

What Uzbek product teams think about apps multi-language support

We raised this question in the Uzbek product community telegram channel and received a wide range of insightful responses. Product managers, developers, and designers shared practical perspectives on the strategic, cultural, and technical factors they consider when deciding which languages to support in their digital products.

Adding a language is a business case, not just a UX concern

Localisation introduces additional operational costs such as translation, QA, UI adjustments, and support training which must be weighed against clear user demand. Many teams find themselves needing to present a solid case against inclusion when the ROI appears low.

User needs drive decisions 

Languages are prioritised based on the number of users who would genuinely benefit, not merely the size of a linguistic or ethnic group. For example, even with over 2 million native speakers, a language isn’t always adopted in practice. One example shared involved the addition of Karakalpak language support following substantial investment only for usage data to later reveal no actual uptake. The key message: validate assumptions with behavioural insights, not just population figures.

Uzbek language isn’t simple

Despite Uzbek being the official state language, Russian remains the dominant language in most digital interactions. This is further complicated by Uzbek existing in both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets, which increases the complexity of localisation efforts. Product teams often face architectural challenges when trying to support both scripts effectively.

English as a strategic asset

English is widely viewed as essential due to its international relevance, particularly for products with cross-border ambitions or those targeting urban, tech-savvy audiences. Including English is often less about cultural fit and more about future-proofing and positioning for potential market expansion.

Implementation feasibility depends on development model

In-house development teams generally find it easier to roll out multilingual support. In contrast, outsourced teams, especially for already-launched apps may face significant costs, as retrofitting existing codebases for multilingual use can be time-intensive and error-prone. Products that weren’t built with localisation in mind from the start often require deep architectural changes.

4 Tips for language validation by product community

Based on the community discussion, here are four practical tips product teams use to validate language choices before investing in localisation: 

1. Analytics tools. Examine users’ device language settings and in-app behaviour to determine actual preferences.
2. Usability testing. Offer language selection during onboarding to gather real usage data.
3. Market Assessment. Evaluate not just linguistic distribution, but also the economic value of user groups.
4. Competitor Research. Review language support in comparable apps, media, and advertising channels.

Uzbekistan’s banking and fintech apps language coverage

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UZ and RU dominant languages

All 41 analyzed apps support both Uzbek (UZ) and Russian (RU) languages. This indicates a strong focus on the primary languages used in Uzbekistan. A significant majority, approximately 92.7%, of the apps also offer support for English (EN). This suggests an effort to cater to a broader international audience or users who prefer English.

Limited support for KAA and TJ languages

Support for Karakalpak (KAA) and Tajik (TJ) is considerably lower. Only about 17.1% of the apps support Karakalpak, and a mere 4.9% support Tajik. This limited support may pose a barrier for users who primarily speak these languages, potentially restricting their access to and usability of these digital financial services.

Alif and Hayot Bank apps with extensive language support

Two apps, Alif and Hayot Bank, stand out by supporting all five languages included in the analysis: Uzbek, Russian, English, Karakalpak, and Tajik.

Several other apps, including Milliy (NBU), Xazna (Xalk Bank), Paynet (PAYNET), Alliance Pay (Asia Alliance Bank), and Mavrid (Microcreditbank), offer support for four languages (Uzbek, Russian, English, and Karakalpak), indicating a broader language accessibility compared to the majority of the analysed apps.

Final thoughts 

Language support in Uzbekistan’s digital products is not merely a gesture of inclusivity, it is a strategic decision. Local product teams increasingly rely on data, market logic, and a clear understanding of user behaviour. While the country’s linguistic diversity calls for thoughtful consideration, implementation must remain pragmatic, cost-aware, and backed by evidence.