{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "

Azerbaijan - a secular nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Since 1991, Azerbaijan has had a protracted conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, populated largely by ethnic Armenians but incorporated into Soviet Azerbaijan as an autonomous oblast in the early 1920s. In the late Soviet period, an ethnic-Armenian separatist movement developed that sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988 and escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the time a ceasefire took effect in May 1994, separatists, with Armenian support, controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories.

Efforts to negotiate a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in the mid-1990s under the aegis of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group, which was co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States. At the same time, cease-fire violations and sporadic flare-ups continued. In September 2020, a second sustained conflict began when Azerbaijan took action to try to regain the territories it had lost in the 1990s. After six weeks of fighting that saw significant Azerbaijani gains, Russia brokered a cease-fire.  Armenia returned to Azerbaijan the seven territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh that it had previously occupied and also the southern part of Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite Azerbaijan’s territorial gains, peace in the region remains elusive because of unsettled issues concerning the delimitation of borders, the opening of regional transportation and communication links, the status of ethnic enclaves near border regions, and the final status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Russian peacekeepers deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh to supervise the cease-fire for a minimum five-year term have not prevented the outbreak of sporadic, low-level military clashes along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the three decades since its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has significantly reduced the poverty rate and has directed some revenue from its oil and gas production to develop the country’s infrastructure. However, corruption remains a burden on the economy, and Western observers and members of the country’s political opposition have accused the government of authoritarianism, pointing to elections that are neither free nor fair, state control of the media, and the systematic abuse of human rights targeting individuals and groups who are perceived as threats to the administration. The country’s leadership has remained in the ALIYEV family since Heydar ALIYEV, formerly the most highly ranked Azerbaijani member of the Communist Party during the Soviet period, became president in the midst of the first Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1993. Heydar ALIYEV groomed his son to succeed him, and Ilham ALIYEV subsequently became president in 2003. As a result of two national referendums that eliminated presidential term limits and extended the presidential term from 5 to 7 years, President ALIYEV secured a fourth term in April 2018 in an election that international observers noted had serious shortcomings. Reforms are underway to diversify the country’s economy away from its dependence on oil and gas; additional reforms are needed to address weaknesses in government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors, and the court system.

" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "40 30 N, 47 30 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Asia" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "86,600 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "82,629 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "3,971 sq km" }, "note": "note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991" }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Maine" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "2,468 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Armenia 996 km; Georgia 428 km; Iran 689 km; Russia 338 km; Turkey 17 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km)" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "none (landlocked)" }, "Climate": { "text": "dry, semiarid steppe" }, "Terrain": { "text": "large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland, much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) to the west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Bazarduzu Dagi 4,466 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Caspian Sea -28 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "384 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "57.6% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 22.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 2.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 32.1% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "11.3% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "31.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "14,649 sq km (2020)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km" } }, "Population distribution": { "text": "highest population density is found in the far eastern area of the country, in and around Baku; apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly light and evenly distributed population" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "droughts" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "10,420,515 (2023 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Azerbaijani(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Azerbaijani" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Azerbaijani 91.6%, Lezghin 2%, Russian 1.3%, Armenian 1.3%, Talysh 1.3%, other 2.4% (2009 est.)", "note": "note: the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is part of Azerbaijan on the basis of the borders recognized when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, is populated almost entirely by ethnic Armenians; Azerbaijan has over 80 ethnic groups" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "Azerbaijani (Azeri) (official) 92.5%, Russian 1.4%, Armenian 1.4%, other 4.7% (2009 est.)" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
Dünya fakt kitabı, əsas məlumatlar üçün əvəz olunmaz mənbədir (Azerbaijani)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." }, "note": "note: Russian is widely spoken" }, "Religions": { "text": "Muslim 97.3% (predominantly Shia), Christian 2.6%, other <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1 (2020 est.)", "note": "note: religious affiliation for the majority of Azerbaijanis is largely nominal, percentages for actual practicing adherents are probably much lower" }, "Demographic profile": { "text": "

Azerbaijan’s citizenry has over 80 ethnic groups. The far eastern part of the country has the highest population density, particularly in and around Baku. Apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly light and evenly distributed population. Approximately 57% of the country’s inhabitants lives in urban areas.  While the population is continuing to grow, it is in the early stages of aging. The declining fertility rate – which has decreased from about 5.5 children per woman in the 1950s to less than the 2.1 replacement level in 2022 – combined with increasing life expectancy has resulted in the elderly making up a larger share of Azerbaijan’s populace. The percentage of elderly residents and the slowed growth and eventual shrinkage of the working-age population could put pressure on the country’s pension and healthcare systems. 

" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "21.78% (male 1,192,608/female 1,077,302)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "69.64% (male 3,619,341/female 3,637,494)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "8.58% (2023 est.) (male 356,184/female 537,586)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "44.2" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "34.7" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "9.7" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "10.3 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "32.6 years" }, "male": { "text": "31.1 years" }, "female": { "text": "34.2 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.63% (2023 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "13.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "6.92 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "highest population density is found in the far eastern area of the country, in and around Baku; apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly light and evenly distributed population" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "57.6% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include Nagorno-Karabakh" }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "2.432 million BAKU (capital) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.06 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.11 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.66 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "24 years (2019 est.)" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "41 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "22.93 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "24.02 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "21.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "74.42 years" }, "male": { "text": "71.36 years" }, "female": { "text": "77.66 years (2023 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "1.86 children born/woman (2023 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "0.9 (2023 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "NA" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 93.3% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 97.1% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 6.7% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 2.9% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "4.6% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "3.17 physicians/1,000 population (2019)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "4.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: NA" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: NA" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: NA" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: (2020 est.) NA" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "19.9% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "24% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "47.9% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "0.1% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "4.9% (2013)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "62.9% (2023 est.)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "4.3% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "99.8%" }, "male": { "text": "99.9%" }, "female": { "text": "99.7% (2019)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "14 years" }, "male": { "text": "13 years" }, "female": { "text": "14 years (2021)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "16.5%" }, "male": { "text": "14.4%" }, "female": { "text": "18.9% (2021 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton; surface and underground water are polluted by untreated municipal and industrial wastewater and agricultural run-off" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "dry, semiarid steppe" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "57.6% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 22.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 2.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 32.1% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "11.3% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "31.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "57.6% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include Nagorno-Karabakh" }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "18.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "37.62 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "44.87 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "2,930,349 tons (2015 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "400 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "570 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "11.6 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "34.68 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of Azerbaijan" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Azerbaijan" }, "local long form": { "text": "Azarbaycan Respublikasi" }, "local short form": { "text": "Azarbaycan" }, "former": { "text": "Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name translates as \"Land of Fire\" and refers to naturally occurring surface fires on ancient oil pools or from natural gas discharges" } }, "Government type": { "text": "presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Baku (Baki, Baky)" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "40 23 N, 49 52 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "daylight saving time": { "text": "does not observe daylight savings time" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name derives from the Persian designation of the city \"bad-kube\" meaning \"wind-pounded city\" and refers to the harsh winds and severe snow storms that can hit the city" }, "note": "note: at approximately 28 m below sea level, Baku's elevation makes it the lowest capital city in the world" }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "

66 districts (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular);

rayons: Abseron, Agcabadi, Agdam, Agdas, Agstafa, Agsu, Astara, Babak, Balakan, Barda, Beylaqan, Bilasuvar, Cabrayil, Calilabad, Culfa, Daskasan, Fuzuli, Gadabay, Goranboy, Goycay, Goygol, Haciqabul, Imisli, Ismayilli, Kalbacar, Kangarli, Kurdamir, Lacin, Lankaran, Lerik, Masalli, Neftcala, Oguz, Ordubad, Qabala, Qax, Qazax, Qobustan, Quba, Qubadli, Qusar, Saatli, Sabirabad, Sabran, Sadarak, Sahbuz, Saki, Salyan, Samaxi, Samkir, Samux, Sarur, Siyazan, Susa, Tartar, Tovuz, Ucar, Xacmaz, Xizi, Xocali, Xocavand, Yardimli, Yevlax, Zangilan, Zaqatala, Zardab

cities: Baku, Ganca, Lankaran, Mingacevir, Naftalan, Naxcivan (Nakhichevan), Saki, Sirvan, Sumqayit, Xankandi, Yevlax

" }, "Independence": { "text": "30 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 18 October 1991 (adopted by the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Republic Day (founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan), 28 May (1918)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "several previous; latest adopted 12 November 1995" }, "amendments": { "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or by at least 63 members of the National Assembly; passage requires at least 95 votes of Assembly members in two separate readings of the draft amendment six months apart and requires presidential approval after each of the two Assembly votes, followed by presidential signature; constitutional articles on the authority, sovereignty, and unity of the people cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2009, 2016" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "yes" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "yes" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "5 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003); First Vice President Mehriban ALIYEVA (since 21 February 2017)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Ali ASADOV (since 8 October 2019); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since 13 February 2003)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds (if needed) for a 7-year term; a single individual is eligible for unlimited terms; election last held on 11 April 2018 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; note - a constitutional amendment approved in a September 2016 referendum extended the presidential term from 5 to 7 years; a separate constitutional amendment approved in the same referendum also introduced the post of first vice-president and additional vice-presidents, who are directly appointed by the president; however, no additional vice-presidents have been appointed since the constitutional amendment was passed" }, "election results": { "text": "Ilham ALIYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 86%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 3.1%, other 10.9%" }, "note": "note: OSCE observers noted shortcomings in the election, including a restrictive political environment, limits on fundamental freedoms, a lack of genuine competition, and ballot box stuffing" }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { "text": "unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { "text": "last held early on 9 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025)" }, "election results": { "text": "percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 3, AVP 1, CUP 1, ADMP 1, PDR 1, Great Order 1, National Front Party 1, REAL 1, VP 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, party unknown 1, independent 41; composition - men 103, women 22, percent of women 17.6%" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 23 judges in plenum sessions and organized into civil, economic affairs, criminal, and rights violations chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { "text": "Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis; judges appointed for 10 years; Constitutional Court chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the president; other court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis to serve single 15-year terms" }, "subordinate courts": { "text": "Courts of Appeal (replaced the Economic Court in 2002); district and municipal courts" } }, "Political parties and leaders": { "text": "Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party or ADMP [Elshan MASAYEV]
Civic Solidarity Party or VHP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI]
Civic Unity Party or VBP [Sabir HAJIYEV]
Great Order Party [Fazil MUSTAFA]
Islamic Party of Azerbaijan or AiP [Mavsum SAMADOV]
Musavat (Equity) Party [Arif HAJILI]
Popular Front Party [Ali KARIMLI]
Motherland Party or AVP [Fazail AGAMALI]
National Front Party [Razi NURULLAYEV]
National Revival Movement Party [Faraj GULIYEV]
Party for Democratic Reforms or DIP [Asim MOLLAZADE]
Republican Alternative Party or REAL [Ilgar MAMMADOV]
Social Democratic Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]
Social Prosperity Party [Asli KAZIMOVA]
Unity Party or VP [Tahir KARIMLI]
Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV]
New Azerbaijan Party (Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyasi) or YAP [Ilham ALIYEV]" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador Kahzar IBRAHIM (since 15 September 2021)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 337-3500" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 337-5911" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
azerbaijan@azembassy.us

https://washington.mfa.gov.az/en" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Los Angeles" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires ad interium (since 29 June 2022)" }, "embassy": { "text": "111 Azadlig Avenue, AZ1007 Baku" }, "mailing address": { "text": "7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050" }, "telephone": { "text": "[994] (12) 488-3300" }, "FAX": { "text": "[994] (12) 488-3330" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
BakuACS@state.gov

https://az.usembassy.gov/" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), red, and green; a vertical crescent moon and an eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red band; the blue band recalls Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red stands for modernization and progress, and green refers to Islam; the crescent moon and star are a Turkic insignia; the eight star points represent the eight Turkic peoples of the world" }, "National symbol(s)": { "text": "flames of fire; national colors: blue, red, green" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"Azerbaijan Marsi\" (March of Azerbaijan)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "Ahmed JAVAD/Uzeyir HAJIBEYOV" }, "note": "note: adopted 1992; although originally written in 1919 during a brief period of independence, \"Azerbaijan Marsi\" did not become the official anthem until after the dissolution of the Soviet Union" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { "text": "3 (all cultural)" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { "text": "Walled City of Baku; Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape; Historic Center of Sheki" } } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "oil-based economy; macroeconomic instabilities due to demand shocks; recent state bailout of largest lender; potential economic gains from Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; negatively impacted by COVID-19; investing in human capital to diversify and retain younger generation" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$146.305 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$138.546 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$144.771 billion (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "5.6% (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2020": { "text": "-4.3% (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "2.5% (2019 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$14,400 (2021 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$13,700 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$14,400 (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$48.104 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": { "text": "6.65% (2021 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020": { "text": "2.76% (2020 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "2.61% (2019 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "BB+ (2016)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Ba2 (2017)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "BB+ (2016)" }, "note": "note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained." }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "6.1% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "53.5% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "40.4% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "57.6% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "11.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "23.6% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0.5% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "48.7% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-42% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "milk, wheat, potatoes, barley, tomatoes, watermelons, cotton, apples, maize, onions" }, "Industries": { "text": "petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "1.95% (2021 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "4.919 million (2021 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "37%" }, "industry": { "text": "14.3%" }, "services": { "text": "48.9% (2014)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "6.58% (2021 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2020": { "text": "6.46% (2020 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "4.85% (2019 est.)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "16.5%" }, "male": { "text": "14.4%" }, "female": { "text": "18.9% (2021 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "4.9% (2015 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2008": { "text": "33.7 (2008)" } }, "Average household expenditures": { "on food": { "text": "38.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)" }, "on alcohol and tobacco": { "text": "1.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "3.4%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "27.4% (2008)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$19.95 billion (2019 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$16.001 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "54.1% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "50.7% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "14.22% (of GDP) (2019 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2021": { "text": "$8.292 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2020": { "text": "-$227.568 million (2020 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2019": { "text": "$4.365 billion (2019 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2021": { "text": "$25.488 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Exports 2020": { "text": "$15.209 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$23.63 billion (2019 est.)" }, "note": "note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports." }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Italy 28%, Turkey 15%, Israel 7%, Germany 5%, India 5% (2017)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, cotton, gold (2021)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2021": { "text": "$16.337 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2020": { "text": "$15.538 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$17.712 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "United Kingdom 17%, Russia 17%, Turkey 12%, China 6% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "gold, cars, refined petroleum, wheat, packaged medical supplies (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021": { "text": "$8.307 billion (31 December 2021 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020": { "text": "$7.634 billion (31 December 2020 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019": { "text": "$7.043 billion (31 December 2019 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$17.41 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$13.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "1.7 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "1.7 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "1.7 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "1.7 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "1.721 (2017 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2021)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "7.677 million kW (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "21.027 billion kWh (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "1.491 billion kWh (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "137 million kWh (2020 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "2.226 billion kWh (2019 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "94.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "4.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "tide and wave": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "geothermal": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "19,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "19,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "711,700 bbl/day (2021 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "107,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate exports": { "text": "679,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "7 billion barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "138,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "46,480 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "5,576 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "23.075 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "11.468 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "11.586 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "1.233 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "1.699 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "35.389 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "29,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "12.863 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "22.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": { "text": "64.416 million Btu/person (2019 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "1,644,300 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "16 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "10,817,071 (2021 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "105 (2021 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "in spite of the telecom sector being one of the major contributors to Azerbaijan’s non-oil GDP, overall development, growth, and investment in the sector has been held back by years of political and civil unrest coupled with endemic corruption; mobile penetration rates reached 100% as far back as 2011 but have largely stagnated since then; the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are slowly extending the reach of their LTE networks around the country, and this increased coverage (along with access to faster data-based services) is expected to produce a moderate resurgence for both mobile and mobile broadband over the next few years as customers migrate from 3G to 4G. 5G services are still some ways off, as the demand for high-speed data and fast broadband can easily be met by existing capacity on LTE networks; fixed-line teledensity continues to drop down each year as customers consolidate their telecommunications services around the mobile platform; the rate of decline is comparatively slower than other countries, since Azerbaijan has a relatively high proportion of (87%) of fixed-line broadband customers still on DSL; fiber is gradually being rolled out in urban areas, and this makes up the bulk of the growth being seen in the overall fixed broadband market; DSL’s predominance, however, will serve to keep Azerbaijan’s average access speeds in the sub-10Mbps range for the foreseeable future (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "16 fixed-lines subscriptions per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscriptions of 105 telephones per 100 persons (2021)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 994; Azerbaijan’s largest mobile network operator (MNO)  launched trial 5G mobile services in Baku on 27 December 2022 (2023)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "3 state-run and 1 public TV channels; 4 domestic commercial TV stations and about 15 regional TV stations; cable TV services are available in Baku; 1 state-run and 1 public radio network operating; a small number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting; local FM relays of Baku commercial stations are available in many localities; note - all broadcast media is pro-government, and most private broadcast media outlets are owned by entities directly linked to the government" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".az" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "8.6 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "86% (2021 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "1,995,474 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "20 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "42 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "44" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "2,279,546 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "44.09 million (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "4K" }, "Airports": { "text": "23 (2021)" }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "30" }, "civil airports": { "text": "4" }, "military airports": { "text": "5" }, "joint use (civil-military) airports": { "text": "1" }, "other airports": { "text": "20" }, "note": "note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)" }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "text": "7", "note": "note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control" }, "Heliports": { "text": "1 (2021)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "89 km condensate, 3,890 km gas, 2,446 km oil (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "2,944.3 km (2017)" }, "broad gauge": { "text": "2,944.3 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge (approx. 1,767 km electrified)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "24,981 km (2013)" }, "note": "note: total roadway length has increased significantly and continues to grow due to the recovery of Armenian-held territories and related reconstruction efforts. No updated figure is currently available." }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "309" }, "by type": { "text": "general cargo 38, oil tanker 44, other 227 (2022)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Baku (Baki) located on the Caspian Sea" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Azerbaijan Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Navy Forces, State Border Service, Coast Guard

Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, local police forces; Special State Protection Service (SSPS): National Guard (2023)", "note": "note: the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service (intelligence, counterterrorism) are responsible for internal security; the SSPS is under the president and provides protective services to senior officials, foreign missions, significant state assets, government buildings, etc; the National Guard also serves as a reserve for the Army" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "4.5% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "5% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "5% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "3.8% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "estimates vary; up to 95,000 active armed forces (85,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force); approximately 15,000 Ministry of Internal Affairs troops (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "Baku has been actively upgrading its equipment for over a decade with purchases from Belarus, Israel, Russia, and Turkey; while most of the military's equipment was once Soviet-era material, it now fields quantities of advanced equipment, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, air defense systems, tanks, and UAVs (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-25 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 17-35 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; 18 months service for conscripts (2023)", "note": "note: most of the military is made up of professional contract soldiers; as of 2018, women made up an estimated 3% of the active duty military" }, "Military - note": { "text": "since November 2020, Russia has deployed about 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the area in and around Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a cease-fire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan; fighting erupted between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September of 2020; Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces (the \"Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army\") backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994; six weeks of fighting resulted in about 6,500 deaths and ended after Armenia ceded swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh territory; tensions remained high into 2023, and both sides have accused the other of provocations since the fighting ended; Armenia has accused Azerbaijani forces of a series of border intrusions and of seizing pockets of territory (2023)" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force", "note": "note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "

Local border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian borders.

Armenia-Azerbaijan: The dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instability. Residents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan-Georgia: A joint boundary commission agrees on most of the alignment, leaving only small areas at certain crossing points in dispute.  Consequently, the two states have yet to agree on a delimitation or demarcation of their common boundary. One area of contention is where the international boundary should run through the 6th-13th Century David-Gareja monastery complex.

Azerbaijan-Iran: none identified

Azerbaijan-Russia: Russia complains of cross-border smuggling.

Azerbaijan-Turkey: none identified

Caspian Sea (Maritime Boundary): Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified the Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea. Bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian.

" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { "text": "655,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh; IDPs are mainly ethnic Azerbaijanis but also include ethnic Kurds, Russians, and Turks predominantly from occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh; includes IDPs' descendants, returned IDPs, and people living in insecure areas and excludes people displaced by natural disasters; around half the IDPs live in the capital Baku) (2021)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "3,585 (2022)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe" } } }