The National Bank of Tajikistan reported that the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Tajikistani somoni to did not change in the last week of 2013, averaging 4.9220 - 4.9380 TJS.

The average rates on operations with the Russian ruble and the euro, however, declined slightly, settling at TJS 0.1478-0.1488 and TJS 6.5300-6.6670, respectively.

On Jan. 2, the average rate of the U.S. dollar in the exchange bureau of Dushanbe was 4.9240-4.9370 TJS, while in Khujand it was TJS 4.9250-4.9350 and in Kurgan-Tube it was 4.9200-4.9400 TJS.

Since independence, Tajikistan has gradually reformed its economic policies, but foreign revenue is largely dependent on exports of cotton and aluminum, making the economy highly vulnerable to external shocks.

The 2008 global financial crisis hit Tajikistan hard, both domestically and internationally. It was in fact hit harder than many countries because it already had a high poverty rate and because many of its citizens depend on remittances from expatriate Tajikistanis.