Factbook dossier
Background
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. Beginning in 1988, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was 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 sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the time a ceasefire took effect in 1994, separatists with Armenian support controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. After decades of cease-fire violations and sporadic flare-ups, a second sustained conflict began in 2020 when Azerbaijan tried to win back the territories it had lost in the 1990s. After significant Azerbaijani gains, Armenia returned the southern part of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories to Azerbaijan. I n September 2023, Azerbaijan took military action to regain the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh; a fter a conflict that lasted only one day, n early the entire ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh fled to Armenia. Since gaining 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. …
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
Area
total : 86,600 sq km land: 82,629 sq km water: 3,971 sq km note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the final status of the region has yet to be determined
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Population
total: 10,694,370 (2025 est.) male: 5,354,376 female: 5,339,994
Ethnic groups
Azerbaijani 94.8%, other 1.8%; less than 1%: Talish, Russian, Avar, Sakhur, Tartar, Georgian, Jewish, Kurd (2019 est.) note: Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan on the basis of the borders recognized when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, was populated almost entirely by ethnic Armenians; Azerbaijan has over 80 ethnic groups
Languages
Azerbaijani 96.1%, other 1.4%; less than 1%: Russian, Avar, Talyshi, Turkish, Tatar, Sakhur, Tat, Ukrainian, Georgian, Hebrew (2019 est.) major-language sample(s): D nya fakt kitabı, əsas məlumatlar n əvəz olunmaz mənbədir (Azerbaijani) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: Russian is widely spoken
Religions
Muslim 97.3% (predominantly Shia), Christian 2.6%, other 0.1, unaffiliated 0.1 (2020 est.) note: religious affiliation for the majority of Azerbaijanis is largely nominal, percentages for actual practicing adherents are probably much lower
Environmental issues
severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution from oil spills, pesticides, and toxic defoliants used in producing cotton; surface and underground water pollution from untreated municipal and industrial wastewater and agricultural run-off
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Baku (Baki, Baky) geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 52 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: does not observe daylight savings time etymology: the name may derive from the Old Persian word badkuba , meaning "windward" and referring to its windy location on the shore of the Caspian Sea note: at approximately 28 m below sea level, Baku's elevation makes it the lowest capital city in the world
Executive branch
chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Ali ASADOV (since 8 October 2019) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly election/appointment process: 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; prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly most recent election date: 7 February 2024 election results: 2024: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 92.1%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 2.2% ; on 16 February 2024, Ali ASADOV reappointed prime minister by parliamentary vote, 105-1 2018: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 86%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 3.1%, other 10.9% expected date of next election: 2031
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Milli Majlis) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 125 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 9/1/2024 parties elected and seats per party: New Azerbaidjan Party (YAP) (68); Independents (44); Other (13) percentage of women in chamber: 20.8% expected date of next election: November 2029
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$225.198 billion (2024 est.) $216.388 billion (2023 est.) $213.497 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$22,100 (2024 est.) $21,300 (2023 est.) $21,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.2% (2024 est.) 8.8% (2023 est.) 13.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Italy 37%, Turkey 19%, Israel 5%, Greece 4%, Russia 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Russia 17%, China 16%, Turkey 14%, Georgia 4%, Germany 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Azerbaijan Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Navy Forces, Special Forces, State Border Service, Coast Guard Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, local police forces; Special State Protection Service (SSPS): National Guard (2025) 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
5.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 4.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 4.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 5% of GDP (2021 est.) 5% of GDP (2020 est.)