Uzbekistan records world’s lowest onion price at US$0.38/Kg, shares top spot with Egypt 

UZBEKISTAN – Uzbekistan has recorded the lowest retail price for onions in the world at US$0.38 per kilogram, tying with Egypt, according to the updated Numbeo database, placing both nations at the bottom of the international price index. 

The highest onion prices were recorded in Puerto Rico at US$3.08 per kilogram, followed closely by the United States and Costa Rica, both at US$3.07 per kilogram.  

Other markets with elevated prices included Norway at US$3.02, South Korea at US$2.74, and Japan at US$2.61.  

Essentially, consumers in these nations pay approximately eight times as much for the same basic food staple as those in Uzbekistan or Egypt. 

Within the Commonwealth of Independent States region, Uzbekistan maintains a significant price advantage over its neighbours. For instance, in Kazakhstan, onions were priced at US$0.48 per kilogram, while in Russia the average was US$0.71.  

On the other hand, across the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe, prices were US$0.55 in Azerbaijan and Ukraine, US$0.59 in Georgia, and US$0.67 in Armenia. Therefore, Uzbek onions remain the most affordable across the entire post-Soviet space. 

Globally, the countries with onion prices closest to Uzbekistan’s were Turkey and India, where the average retail price was US$0.40 per kilogram.  

This cluster of low-cost onion markets in Uzbekistan, Egypt, Turkey, and India shares common characteristics, including domestic production surpluses, minimal export restrictions, and government policies aimed at keeping staple foods affordable for local populations. 

The Numbeo database calculates these international price indices through continuous cost-of-living monitoring, combining recent data from platform users with official statistics from the past 12 months.  

Additionally, the index reflects actual retail transactions rather than wholesale or farm-gate prices, providing a realistic picture of what consumers pay in markets and grocery stores. 

This price disparity presents both opportunity and challenge. Low-cost origins such as Uzbekistan and Egypt offer competitive sourcing options for onion traders serving regional markets.  

However, high-cost importers in the Gulf and Africa face pressure to secure affordable supply contracts. Further, the substantial price gap between Uzbekistan (US$0.38) and markets such as Norway (US$3.02) suggests that logistics efficiency, rather than production costs alone, determines final consumer prices.  

Therefore, investors should examine improvements to the cold chain and transport infrastructure that could narrow this disparity while capturing margin. 

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates