Editing Tajikistan (section)

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Tajikistan}}
[[File:Tajikistan, Trends in the Human Development Index 1970-2010.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Tajikistan: trends in its Human Development Index indicator 1970–2010]]
{|class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px"
|+ Population in Tajikistan<ref>{{Cite web|title=96 ЛЕТ НАЗАД ТАДЖИКИСТАН ВПЕРВЫЕ ПОЯВИЛСЯ НА КАРТЕ МИРА|url=https://akhbor-rus.com/-p5798-117.htm|access-date=20 June 2021|website=akhbor-rus.com|language=en|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203037/https://akhbor-rus.com/-p5798-117.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>{{UN_Population|ref}}
|-
! scope="col" |Year
! scope="col" |Million
|-
|1926 ||style="text-align:right;"|0.83
|-
|1950 ||style="text-align:right;"|1.5
|-
|2000 ||style="text-align:right;"|6.2
|-
|{{UN_Population|Year}} ||style="text-align:right;"|{{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Tajikistan}}|R}}/1e6 round 1}}
|}
[[File:Women of Dushanbe .jpg|thumb|Group of Tajik women]]

In 2023, Tajikistan was estimated to have a population of 10,389,799 as per the [[World Bank]] data.<ref name="worldbankpop">{{cite web | title=Population, total - Tajikistan | website=Data | date=8 February 2022 | url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=TJ | language=en | access-date=20 September 2022 | archive-date=20 September 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920173042/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=TJ | url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Tajiks]] who speak [[Tajik language|Tajik]] are the main ethnic group, while there are minorities of [[Uzbeks]] and [[Russians]], whose numbers are declining due to emigration,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4420922.stm Russians left behind in Central Asia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911080317/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4420922.stm |date=11 September 2013 }}, Robert Greenall, BBC News, 23 November 2005.</ref> making Tajikistan the only country in Central Asia to have a minority of Turkic people, and instead a majority of Iranic people.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tajikistan/#people-and-society | title=Tajikistan }}</ref> The [[Pamiris]] of [[Badakhshan]], a population of [[Yaghnobis|Yaghnobi people]], and a minority of [[Isma'ilism|Ismailis]] are considered to belong to the larger group of Tajiks. Citizens of Tajikistan are called [[Tajikistanis]].<ref name=CIA />
[[File:Nowruz_and_a_happy_child.jpg|thumb|right|[[Nowruz]] celebrations]]
In 1989, ethnic [[Russians in Tajikistan]] made up 7.6% of the population; by 1998 the proportion had reduced to approximately 0.5% following the [[Tajikistani Civil War]] which had displaced the majority of ethnic Russians. Following the end of the war, Russian emigration continued.<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/23.htm Tajikistan – Ethnic Groups] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207115900/http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/23.htm |date=7 December 2010 }}. Source: ''U.S. Library of Congress.''</ref> The [[History of Germans in Russia, Ukraine and the Soviet Union|ethnic German]] population of Tajikistan has declined due to emigration: having topped at 38,853 in 1979, it has "almost vanished" since the collapse of the Soviet Union.<ref>[http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/history_culture/history/tajikistan.html Russian-Germans in Tajikistan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820100426/http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/history_culture/history/tajikistan.html |date=20 August 2009 }}. Pohl, J. Otto. "Russian-Germans in Tajikistan", ''Neweurasia'', 29 March 2007.</ref>

The [[Tajiks]] are the principal ethnic group in most of Tajikistan, and in northern and western [[Afghanistan]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Why Tajikistan Is Taking a Stand Against the Taliban |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/10/26/why-tajikistan-is-taking-a-stand-against-the-taliban-a75413 |work=The Moscow Times |date=26 October 2021 |access-date=12 February 2022 |archive-date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212165000/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/10/26/why-tajikistan-is-taking-a-stand-against-the-taliban-a75413 |url-status=live }}</ref> and there are more Tajiks in Afghanistan than in Tajikistan. Tajiks are a minority in [[Uzbekistan]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Tajik Tragedy of Uzbekistan |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/the-tajik-tragedy-of-uzbekistan/ |work=The Diplomat |date=6 September 2016 |access-date=12 February 2022 |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619165415/https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/the-tajik-tragedy-of-uzbekistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> About 2.4 million Tajik citizens were officially registered in Russia in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Doctor Drain: 'Exodus' Of Tajiks To Russia Seen As Migration Laws Eased |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-russia-exodus-migration-brain-drain/31700293.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=12 February 2022 |access-date=12 February 2022 |archive-date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212165000/https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-russia-exodus-migration-brain-drain/31700293.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{{main|Languages of Tajikistan|Tajik language|Russian dialects#Tajikistani Russian|l2 = Tajikistani Russian|}}

The official [[language]]s of Tajikistan are [[Tajik language|Tajik]] as the state language and [[Russian language|Russian]] as the interethnic language, as understood in Article 2 of the Constitution: "The state language of Tajikistan shall be Tajik. Russian shall be the language of international communication."<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=http://www.unesco.org/education/edurights/media/docs/ae8c0f7576f3d9f63ff2055592a9cb6b7f95227a.pdf |title=Constitution of Tajikistan |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=8 April 2021 |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510033938/http://www.unesco.org/education/edurights/media/docs/ae8c0f7576f3d9f63ff2055592a9cb6b7f95227a.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The state (national) language ({{langx|tg|забони давлатӣ|zaboni davlatí|links=no}}, {{langx|ru|государственный язык|gosudarstvennyy yazyk}}) of the Republic of Tajikistan is [[Tajik language|Tajik]], which is written in the [[Tajik alphabet|Tajik Cyrillic alphabet]]. Millions of native Tajik speakers live in neighboring [[Uzbekistan]] and in Russia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tajik language |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tajik-language |website=Britannica |access-date=5 February 2021 |archive-date=27 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227074700/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tajik-language |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan,<ref name="auto1"/> Russian is recognized as the second official language of Tajikistan; the official language of inter-ethnic communication ({{langx|ru|язык межнационального общения}}; {{langx|tg|забони муоширати байни миллатҳо}}) in the country.<ref name="RIA-RU">{{cite web|url=https://ria.ru/culture/20091022/190107839.html|title=The status of the Russian language in Tajikistan remains unchanged – Rahmon|publisher=RIA – RIA.ru|date=22 October 2009|access-date=30 September 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002141721/https://ria.ru/culture/20091022/190107839.html|archive-date=2 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="lenta.ru/news/2011/06/09">{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/news/2011/06/09/russian|title=В Таджикистане русскому языку вернули прежний статус|publisher=Lenta.ru|access-date=13 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905014016/http://lenta.ru/news/2011/06/09/russian/|archive-date=5 September 2013}}</ref>

Approximately 90% of the population of Tajikistan speaks Russian at varying levels.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://celcar.indiana.edu/materials/language-portal/tajiki/index.html | title=Tajiki | access-date=25 October 2024 | archive-date=12 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612222820/https://celcar.indiana.edu/materials/language-portal/tajiki/index.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> The varieties of Russian spoken in Tajikistan are referred to by scholars as ''[[Russian dialects#Tajikistani Russian|Tajik(istani) Russian]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian: A Monocentric or Pluricentric Language |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=739986 |publisher=Colloquia Humanistica |access-date=28 February 2021 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417154701/https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=739986 |url-status=live }}</ref> and it shares some similarities with ''Uzbek(istani) Russian'', such as morphological differences and lexical differences such as the use of word ''урюк''<ref>{{cite web |title=Урюк |url=http://forum.lingvolive.com/thread/l132954/?order=all#comment-96f1bb5a-2004-46a4-85a3-a7e80086b86b |website=Lingvolive |publisher=ABBYY Lingvo |access-date=28 February 2021 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> for a wild apricot or ''кислушка'' for rhubarb.<ref>{{cite web |title=Кислушка (ревень) |url=http://forum.lingvolive.com/thread/l131195/?order=all#comment-2c008487-0fcb-480f-9742-a7e80086723c |website=Lingolive |publisher=ABBYY Lingvo |access-date=28 February 2021 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Both Russian and Tajik speakers in the country use the following words in common in addressing unfamiliar people and acquaintances.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Карина |first1=Рахим-заде |title=Взаимопроникновение русского и таджикского языков в разговорной речи населения Душанбе |url=https://studentlib.com/chitat/kursovaya_rabota_teoriya-32870-vzaimoproniknovenie_russkogo_i_tadzhikskogo_yazykov_v_razgovornoy_rechi_naseleniya_dushanbe.html |website=Studentlib.com |publisher=ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ИНСТИТУТ РУССКОГО ЯЗЫКА имени А.С.ПУШКИНА |access-date=28 November 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128110606/https://studentlib.com/chitat/kursovaya_rabota_teoriya-32870-vzaimoproniknovenie_russkogo_i_tadzhikskogo_yazykov_v_razgovornoy_rechi_naseleniya_dushanbe.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Words of familial relation
|-
! Tajikistani Russian !! Standard Russian !! English translation
|-
| апа || старшая сестра || older sister
|-
| ака || старший брат || older brother
|-
| хола || тетя|| aunt
|-
| янга || жена брата, невестка || daughter-in-law; sister-in-law
|}

The "highly educated" part of the population of Tajikistan, and the [[intelligentsia]], prefer to speak Russian and Persian, the pronunciation of which in Tajikistan is called the "Iranian style".<ref name="RFE/RL">{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajikistan_Drops_Russian_As_Official_Language/1846118.html |title=Tajikistan Drops Russian As Official Language |publisher=RFE/RL – Rferl.org |date=7 October 2009 |access-date=13 September 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055202/http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajikistan_Drops_Russian_As_Official_Language/1846118.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref><ref name="RIA-RU"/><ref name="lenta.ru/news/2011/06/09"/>

Native Uzbek speakers live in the north and west of Tajikistan. In fourth place (after Tajik, Russian and Uzbek) by number of native speakers are [[Pamir languages]], whose native speakers live in [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region|Kuhistani Badakshshan Autonomous Region]]. The majority of [[Zoroastrians]] in Tajikistan speak one of the Pamir languages. Native speakers of the [[Kyrgyz language]] live in the north of [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region|Kuhistani Badakshshan Autonomous Region]]. [[Yagnobi language]] speakers live in the west of the country. The [[Parya language]] of local [[Romani people]] ([[:ru:Среднеазиатские цыгане|Central Asian Gypsies]]) is spoken in Tajikistan. Tajikistan has communities of native speakers of [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Arabic]], [[Pashto]], [[Armenian language|Armenian]], [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]], [[Tatar language|Tatar]], [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]], [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], and [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sen Nag |first1=Oishimaya |title=What Languages Are Spoken In Tajikistan |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-tajikistan.html |website=World Atlas |date=August 2017 |access-date=5 February 2021 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225025005/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-tajikistan.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Employment ===
In 2009 nearly 1 million [[Tajiks]] worked abroad (mainly in Russia).<ref>[http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=122728&d=21&m=5&y=2009 Deployment of Tajik workers gets green light] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610144646/http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=122728&d=21&m=5&y=2009 |date=10 June 2009 }}. Arab News. 21 May 2007.</ref> More than 70% of the female population lives in traditional villages.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Azimova|first1=Aigul|last2=Abazbekova|first2=Nazgul|title=Millennium Development Goals: Saving women's Lives|newspaper=D+C|page=289|date=27 July 2011|url=http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/tough-labour-conditions-central-asias-female-health-workers|access-date=12 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217124220/http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/tough-labour-conditions-central-asias-female-health-workers|archive-date=17 February 2014}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Tajikistan}}
{{See also|Freedom of religion in Tajikistan|Islam in Tajikistan}}
{{bar box
|title=Religion in Tajikistan, 2020<ref name="thearda_com" />
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Islam in Tajikistan|Islam]]|green|97.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity in Tajikistan|Christianity]]|blue|0.7}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|Unaffiliated]]|grey|1.7}}
{{bar percent|[[Religion in Tajikistan#Other religions|others]]|purple|0.2}}
}}
[[File:Abdullokhon Mosque Isfara.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[mosque]] in [[Isfara]]]]
Tajikistan is a [[secular state]] with a constitution providing for freedom of religion, but nevertheless it heavily regulates the practices of its Muslim majority.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2015/04/tajikistan-no-hajj-no-hijab-and-shave-your-beard/|title=Tajikistan: No Hajj, No Hijab, and Shave Your Beard|first=Catherine|last=Putz|website=thediplomat.com|access-date=12 September 2021|archive-date=21 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021054613/https://thediplomat.com/2015/04/tajikistan-no-hajj-no-hijab-and-shave-your-beard/|url-status=live}}</ref> Sunni Islam of the [[Hanafi]] school has been officially recognised by the government since 2009.<ref>{{cite web|author=Avaz Yuldashev|url=http://asiaplus.tj/news/16/47964.html|script-title=ru:«Ханафия» объявлена официальным религиозным течением Таджикистана|trans-title="Hanafi" declared the official religious movement in Tajikistan|language=ru|date=5 March 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825055806/http://asiaplus.tj/news/16/47964.html|archive-date=25 August 2010}}</ref> The government has declared two Islamic holidays, [[Eid ul-Fitr]] and [[Eid al-Adha]], as state holidays. According to a [[US State Department]] release and Pew research group, the population of Tajikistan is 98% [[Muslim]]. Approximately 87–95% of them are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and roughly 3% are [[Shia]] and roughly 7% are [[non-denominational Muslims]].<ref>[http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/#identity Pew Forum on Religious & Public life, Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226113158/http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/ |date=26 December 2016 }} retrieved 29 October 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm |title=Background Note: Tajikistan |publisher=State.gov |access-date=2 October 2009 |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513180616/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5775.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Shia part of the population predominantly live in the [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region]] and are followers of the [[Isma'ilism|Ismailite]] branch of Shia Islam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keeping religion alive: performing Pamiri identity in Central Asia {{!}} IIAS |url=https://www.iias.asia/the-newsletter/article/keeping-religion-alive-performing-pamiri-identity-central-asia |access-date=26 May 2022 |website=www.iias.asia |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811135252/https://www.iias.asia/the-newsletter/article/keeping-religion-alive-performing-pamiri-identity-central-asia |url-status=live }}</ref> The remaining 2% of the population are followers of [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]], [[Protestantism]], [[Zoroastrianism]] and [[Buddhism]]. Muslims fast during Ramadan, while about one third in the countryside and 10% in the cities observe daily prayer and dietary restrictions.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999: Tajikistan |url=https://1997-2001.state.gov/global/human_rights/irf/irf_rpt/1999/irf_tajikist99.html |website=U.S. Department of State Archive |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=29 November 2021 |archive-date=29 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129065456/https://1997-2001.state.gov/global/human_rights/irf/irf_rpt/1999/irf_tajikist99.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Bukharan Jews]] had lived in Tajikistan since the second century BC. In the 1940s, the Jewish community of Tajikistan numbered nearly 30,000 people. Most were Persian-speaking Bukharan Jews who had lived in the region for millennia along with Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe who resettled there in the Soviet era. As of 2011, the Jewish population was estimated at less than 500, with roughly half living in [[Dushanbe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/54896/home-stand|title=Home Stand|work=Tablet Magazine|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211090933/http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/54896/home-stand|archive-date=11 December 2015|date=4 January 2011}}</ref>

There is a concern for religious institutions becoming active in the political sphere. The [[Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan|Islamic Renaissance Party]] (IRP), a combatant in the [[Tajikistan Civil War|1992–1997 Civil War]] and then-proponent of the creation of an [[State religion#Islamic states|Islamic state]] in Tajikistan, constitutes no more than 30% of the government by statute.  Membership in [[Hizb ut-Tahrir]], a militant Islamic party which aims for an overthrow of secular governments and the unification of Tajiks under one Islamic state, is illegal and members are subject to arrest and imprisonment.<ref>{{cite news | title =Hizb ut Tahrir | newspaper =BBC News | publisher =BBC | date =27 August 2003 | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/3182271.stm | access-date =12 September 2013 | url-status =live | archive-url =http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20130913234029/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/3182271.stm | archive-date =13 September 2013 | df =dmy-all }}</ref>

By law, religious communities must register by the State Committee on Religious Affairs (SCRA) and with local authorities. Registration with SCRA requires a charter, a list of 10 or more members, and evidence of local government approval prayer site location. Religious groups that do not have a physical structure are not allowed to gather publicly for prayer. Failure to register can result in fines and closure of a place of worship. There are reports that registration on the local level is sometimes difficult to obtain.<ref>[http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=190 TAJIKISTAN: Religious freedom survey, November 2003] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613013715/http://forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=190 |date=13 June 2010 }} -[[Forum 18]] News Service, 20 November 2003</ref> People under the age of 18 are barred from public religious practice.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U. S. Department of State International Religious Freedom Report for 2013, Executive Summary.|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm#wrapper|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207121457/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm#wrapper|archive-date=7 February 2017|access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref>

As of January 2016, as part of an "anti-radicalisation campaign", police in the Khatlon region reportedly shaved the beards of 13,000 men and shut down 160 shops selling the [[hijab]]. Shaving beards and discouraging women from wearing hijabs is part of a government campaign targeting trends that are deemed "alien and inconsistent with Tajik culture", and "to preserve secular traditions".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35372754 |title=Tajikistan's battle against beards |access-date=27 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124221542/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35372754 |archive-date=24 January 2016 |work=BBC News |date=21 January 2016 |last1=Sarkorova |first1=Anora }}</ref>

Approximately 1.6% of the population in Tajikistan is [[Christianity|Christian]], mostly [[Russian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]].<ref name="pewforum.org">[http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2010/percent/all/ Religious Composition by Country, 2010–2050 | Pew Research Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802041823/http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2010/percent/all/ |date=2 August 2017 }}. Pewforum.org (2 April 2015). Retrieved on 20 January 2017.</ref><ref name="globalreligiousfutures.org">[http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/tajikistan#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2013 Tajikistan – Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209010624/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/tajikistan |date=9 February 2017 }}. Globalreligiousfutures.org. Retrieved on 20 January 2017.</ref> The territory of Tajikistan is part of the [[:ru:Душанбинская епархия|Dushanbe and Tajikistan Diocese]] of the [[:ru:Среднеазиатский митрополичий округ|Central Asian Metropolitan District]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox Moscow Patriarchate]]. The country is home to communities of [[Catholic Church|Catholics]], [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Christians]], [[Protestantism|Protestants]], [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Baptists]], [[Mormons]], and [[Adventists]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tajikistan – Religion |url=http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/25.htm |website=Country Studies |access-date=5 February 2021 |archive-date=15 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515173642/http://countrystudies.us/tajikistan/25.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Health ===
{{Main|Health in Tajikistan}}
[[File:Big Hospital.jpg|thumb|A hospital in Dushanbe]]
The state's Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare reported that 104,272 disabled people are registered in Tajikistan (2000). The government of Tajikistan and the World Bank considered activities to support this part of the population described in the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000094946_02112004011765|title=Tajikistan – Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and joint assessment|pages=1–0|publisher=World Bank|date=31 October 2002|access-date=1 November 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526082536/http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000094946_02112004011765 |archive-date=26 May 2009}}</ref> Public expenditure on health was at 1% of the GDP in 2004.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org">{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_TJK.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323145121/http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_TJK.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 March 2010 |title=Human Development Report 2009 – Tajikistan |publisher=Hdrstats.undp.org |access-date=20 June 2010}}</ref>

[[Life expectancy]] at birth was estimated to be 69 years in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Field Listing :: Life expectancy at birth — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/355.html#TI|access-date=12 July 2020|website=www.cia.gov|archive-date=20 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620031317/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/355.html#TI|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[infant mortality]] rate was approximately 30.42 deaths per 1,000 children in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://childmortality.org/data/Tajikistan|title=Child Mortality – Tajikistan}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2014, there were 2.1 physicians per 1,000 people, higher than any other low-income country after [[North Korea]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Physicians (per 1,000 people) – Tajikistan, Low income {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.PHYS.ZS?locations=TJ-XM&most_recent_value_desc=true|access-date=12 July 2020|website=data.worldbank.org|archive-date=12 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712171537/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.PHYS.ZS?locations=TJ-XM&most_recent_value_desc=true|url-status=live}}</ref>

Tajikistan has experienced a decrease in per capita hospital beds since 1992 following the dissolution of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]], while the number remains at 4.8 beds per 1,000 people, above the world average of 2.7.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) – World, Tajikistan, Low income {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.BEDS.ZS?locations=1W-TJ-XM&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|access-date=12 July 2020|website=data.worldbank.org|archive-date=12 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712200520/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.BEDS.ZS?locations=1W-TJ-XM&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the World Bank, 96% of births are attended by skilled health staff, rising from 66.6% in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) – Tajikistan, Low income {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.BRTC.ZS?locations=TJ-XM&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|access-date=12 July 2020|website=data.worldbank.org|archive-date=12 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712175457/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.BRTC.ZS?locations=TJ-XM&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2010, the country experienced an outbreak of [[polio]] that caused more than 457 cases of polio in both children and adults and resulted in 29 deaths before being brought under control.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/poliomyelitis/news/news/2012/7/2010-polio-outbreak-in-tajikistan-a-reminder-of-the-continued-need-for-vigilance-as-the-region-marks-10-years-of-polio-free-status|title=2010 polio outbreak in Tajikistan: A reminder of the continued need for vigilance as the Region marks 10 years of polio-free status|work=World Health Organization|date=10 July 2012|access-date=28 February 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062402/http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/poliomyelitis/news/news/2012/7/2010-polio-outbreak-in-tajikistan-a-reminder-of-the-continued-need-for-vigilance-as-the-region-marks-10-years-of-polio-free-status|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

In the summer of 2021, coronavirus ravaged the country, and the [[President of Tajikistan|Tajik president]]'s sister reportedly died in a hospital of [[COVID-19]]. According to local media, the president's sister's sons physically assaulted the [[health minister]] and a senior doctor.<ref>Dixon, Robyn. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/tajik-covid-president-nephews-assault-doctors/2021/07/27/660efdaa-eebb-11eb-ab6f-b41a066381df_story.html After the Tajik president's sister died of covid, her sons beat up the country's top health officials.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728120859/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/tajik-covid-president-nephews-assault-doctors/2021/07/27/660efdaa-eebb-11eb-ab6f-b41a066381df_story.html |date=28 July 2021 }} Washington Post 27 August 2021.</ref>

In 2023, according to the [[World Health Organization]], Tajikistan received its certification, declaring its status as a [[malaria]]-free country.<ref>{{cite web |title=WHO certifies Azerbaijan and Tajikistan as malaria-free |url=https://www.who.int/news/item/29-03-2023-who-certifies-azerbaijan-and-tajikistan-as-malaria-free |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref>

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Tajikistan}}
[[File:Tajik National University (Main Building).jpg|thumb|[[Tajik National University]] in Dushanbe]]
An estimated 99.8% of the population of Tajikistan have the ability to read and write.<ref name=CIA />

Public education in Tajikistan consists of 11 years of primary and secondary education and the government planned to implement a 12-year system in 2016.<ref name="scholaro.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.scholaro.com/db/Countries/Tajikistan/Education-System|title=Tajikistan Education System|website=www.scholaro.com|access-date=4 August 2024}}</ref> There is a number of [[List of universities in Tajikistan|tertiary education institutions]] including [[Khujand State University]], which has 76 departments in 15 faculties,<ref name="scholaro.com" /> [[Tajikistan State University of Law, Business, & Politics]], [[Khorugh State University]], [[Agricultural University of Tajikistan]], [[Tajik National University]], and other institutions. Universities were established during the Soviet Era. {{As of|2008}} tertiary education enrollment was 17%, below the sub-regional average of 37%,<ref name="unicef.org">[http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/Tajikistan.pdf Education in Tajikistan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106003014/http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/Tajikistan.pdf |date=6 November 2013 }}. unicef.org</ref> while higher than any other [[low-income country]] after [[Syria]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) – Low income {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?locations=XM&most_recent_value_desc=true|access-date=27 July 2020|website=data.worldbank.org|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727191035/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?locations=XM&most_recent_value_desc=true|url-status=live}}</ref> Tajiks left the education system due to "low" demand in the labour market for people with "extensive" educational training or professional skills.<ref name="unicef.org" />

Public spending on education was relatively constant between 2005–2012 and fluctuated from 3.5% to 4.1% of [[GDP]]<ref>[http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS/countries/TJ?display=graph Tajikistan, Public spending on education, total (% of GDP)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714214007/http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS/countries/TJ?display=graph |date=14 July 2014 }} World Bank</ref> below the [[OECD]] average of 6%.<ref name="unicef.org" /> The [[United Nations]] reported that the level of spending was "severely inadequate to meet the requirements of the country's high-needs education system."<ref name="unicef.org" />

According to a UNICEF-supported survey, about 25% of girls in Tajikistan fail to complete compulsory primary education because of poverty and gender bias,<ref>{{cite web | title =Tajikistan hosts education forum | work =News note | publisher =UNICEF | date =9 June 2005 | url =http://www.unicef.org/media/media_27308.html | access-date =12 September 2013 | url-status =live | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131104204553/http://www.unicef.org/media/media_27308.html | archive-date =4 November 2013 | df =dmy-all }}</ref> while [[literacy]] is "generally high" in Tajikistan.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org" /> Estimates of out of school children range from 4.6% to 19.4% with the majority being girls.<ref name="unicef.org" />

In September 2017, the [[University of Central Asia]] launched its second campus in Khorog, Tajikistan, offering majors in Earth & Environmental Sciences and Economics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucentralasia.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129122624/http://www.ucentralasia.org/|url-status=dead|title=University of Central Asia – University of Central Asia|archive-date=29 November 2016|website=www.ucentralasia.org}}</ref> Tajikistan was ranked 107th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/|title=Global Innovation Index 2024. Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship|access-date=2024-10-22|author=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]|year=2024|isbn=978-92-805-3681-2|doi= 10.34667/tind.50062|website=www.wipo.int|location=Geneva|page=18}}</ref>

Science in the territory of Tajikistan achieved "success" in the Middle Ages, and scientific organizations were created in the Soviet period. During the period of independence, the scientific sphere has experienced a "crisis": the annual number of patent applications for inventions decreased in 1994–2011 from 193 to 5.<ref>''Султанова Л. Ш., Айдинова М. А.'' Значение канала трансфера новых технологий для Узбекистана // Актуальные вопросы современной науки. — 2014. — № 1 (2,3). — С. 87.</ref> A contribution to science is made by universities, where in 2011 6707 researchers worked, of which 2450 had academic degrees.<ref>''Шарипов М. М.'' Роль вузов в формировании и развитии инновационной экономики в Республике Таджикистан // Современные проблемы науки и образования. — 2014. — № 6. — С. 627.</ref>