The financial sustainability of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) is entering a critical phase, shaped by both domestic and international economic shifts. With Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States, significant changes in domestic and foreign policy are reshaping global...

In 2024, one of the most notable developments in the Azerbaijani economy that demands detailed analysis is the transformation of foreign trade statistics. This article provides an in-depth examination of Azerbaijan's foreign trade landscape in 2024, focusing on its dynamics, structure, and...

In this paper, an analysis of Azerbaijan's economic and social performance in 2024 is presented, highlighting key trends and challenges. The discussion covers macroeconomic indicators, sectoral contributions, investment dynamics, regional disparities, and issues related to transparency and data...

The report offers a concise overview of the higher education system in Azerbaijan,addressing key areas to provide a comprehensive understanding of the system'scharacteristics. These include institutions of higher education, student population,governance of higher education, and the funding of...

This report presents an analysis of the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan's (CBA) communication framework and offers recommendations for enhancement. The technical assistance mission, led by the IMF Monetary and Capital Markets Department, aimed to modernize the CBA's communication...

This Country Partnership Framework (CPF) presents the planned engagement of the World Bank Group (WBG) in Azerbaijan over the next five years (FY25-29). The CPF is guided by the government's strategy for socio-economic development for 2022-26 (SEDS) and the WBG's most recent strategic analysis -...

This report identifies the unique technological challenges and opportunities faced by various Azerbaijani communities when using digital tools and services, particularly in rural areas. The findings will support the Government of Azerbaijan in its design of the interventions necessary to create...

The three South Caucasus economies - Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia - have performed relatively well since the COVID-19 pandemic, benefiting from certain spillovers of Russia's war against Ukraine. The oil importers Armenia and Georgia achieved double-digit GDP growth in 2022 - 12.6% and 11.0%,...

A 30-year period is sufficient to evaluate the place of the “Contract of the Century” in modern Azerbaijani history and its role in shaping the national economy. Although such evaluations are conducted periodically, we will attempt to conclude the assessment on the occasion of COP29, which...

On 1 January 2025, the Transit Agreement, which has provided political, commercial, technical and legal grounds for the transit of Russian gas across Ukraine during 2020-24, will expire. Once it happens - and if no extension or alternative transit arrangement are agreed - the transit will stop....

This article examines Azerbaijan's economic performance in 2024 and provides projections for 2025, highlighting key challenges and potential opportunities. Despite expectations for reform, 2024 was marked by persistent inflation, currency pressures, and declining investments, underscoring the...

The pervasive reach of corruption extends far beyond individuals, impacting entire populations and critical infrastructure. This paper examines a tragic event that occurred on October 22, 2024 in Baku's Sabunchu district, where two drivers lost their lives, not to floodwaters, but to the...

This article provides a comparative analysis of the main parameters of the 2025 state budget with those of neighboring countries. It examines the structural and trend analysis of budget revenue sources and expenditures while also evaluating the expectations of consumers, businesses, and state...

This article examines the challenges Azerbaijan faced on the Eve of COP29. Assessing the situation in Azerbaijan regarding energy, ecology, and climate finance issues, the author systematizes the critical problems to be solved in this field and draws attention to Azerbaijan's policy on the Eve...

This paper is a deep dive into the reasons behind Russian President Putin's state visit to Azerbaijan, with a specific focus on Russia's energy interests in the region. The research includes an analysis of key players such as Gazprom and Lukoil in Azerbaijan, and their future plans for energy...

Azerbaijan's economy is at a critical juncture, with the decreasing reliance on resource-based income signaling an imminent transition. The nation's strategic focus on economic diversification offers substantial prospects for growth in non-oil sectors. However, the pressing question remains: Is...

On 1 January 2025, the Transit Agreement, which has provided political, commercial, technical and legal grounds for the transit of Russian gas across Ukraine during 2020-24, will expire. Once it happens – and if no extension or alternative transit arrangement are agreed – the transit will...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated global dynamics that profoundly impact the post-Soviet South. Relations with Russia are still strong, but the former subalterns are raising their voices. The empowerment is most visible in their foreign relations, but also tends to strengthen...

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has accelerated global dynamics that profoundly impact the post-Soviet South. Relations with Russia are still strong, but the former subalterns are raising their voices. The empowerment is most visible in their foreign relations, but also tends to strengthen...

In this paper, we use survey data from the South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) to document the presence of gender gaps in the labor market and examine its consequences. To do the analysis, we use a numerical general-equilibrium occupational choice model with heterogeneous...

Das Pariser Klimaabkommen sieht vor, die globale Erderwärmung auf unter 2°C gegenüber dem vorindustriellen Niveau zu begrenzen. Eine Herausforderung, deren Erfolg von der internationalen Kooperation der Mitgliedsstaaten abhängt und noch in weiter Ferne liegt. In diesem Policy Brief zeigen...

Transition economies, on the one hand, grapple with a communist legacy; on the other hand, they seek the optimal institutionalization for knowledge generation, dissemination, and commercialization to compete globally. However, the incumbent knowledge of certain aspects of their innovation...

The Country Opinion Survey in Azerbaijan assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in better understanding how stakeholders in Azerbaijan perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private...

The dynamics of Austria's economic relations with the EU Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - and with Russia have deviated from those of the EU in several important ways. During the decade preceding the war in Ukraine, Austrian trade...

The mission assisted the staff of the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CBAR) in compiling financial soundness indicators (FSIs) in line with the IMF's 2019 FSIs Compilation Guide. Specifically, the mission assisted the CBAR to compile 14 core and 9 additional monthly FSIs for deposit...

Growth is moderating following a strong post-pandemic rebound, and inflation is easing. The near-term challenge is to resume fiscal consolidation following a temporary easing, and to ensure that inflation-which has recently returned to the target band-does not reignite amid external risks and...

Das Pariser Klimaabkommen sieht vor, die globale Erderwärmung auf unter 2°C gegenüber dem vorindustriellen Niveau zu begrenzen. Eine Herausforderung, deren Erfolg von der internationalen Kooperation der Mitgliedsstaaten abhängt und noch in weiter Ferne liegt. In diesem Policy Brief zeigen...

Although the number of econometric analyses related to the renewable energy sector in Azerbaijan is increasing, studies on nonparametric dimensionality reduction are rather sparse. Principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) were chosen to fill this apparent...

Connectivity, especially in the transport sector, has become a ubiquitous issue in the South Caucasus in recent years. Transport connectivity also plays a central role in the European Union's policy towards the region. As part of its Global Gateway Initiative, the EU has made a commitment that...

Since February 2022 - when Russia invaded the Ukraine - the geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus changed dramatically. On the one hand, EU sanctions on Russia made the "Middle Corridor" of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative through the South Caucasus more attractive for China and...

The South Caucasus has long been a theatre of Turkish and Iranian cooperation and rivalry. While these two regional powers have historically balanced their interests, there are signs that rivalry is taking precedence. Turkey's unwavering backing of Azerbaijan during the 2020 Karabakh War...

Humanity is becoming more and more convinced that the 21st century is the century of knowledge, high technologies, rapid innovations and science-intensive industries. The world is entering a fundamentally new technological order, which testifies to the change of eras, transforming the former...

As of June 1, 2023, 24 banks are operating in Azerbaijan, 2 state and 22 commercial banks. Concentration in the banking system is high. One factor determining the increase of concentration on the financial market as a whole and the decrease of competitiveness in the banking market is the...

Diversification is an important component of the development of any economy. The reason for this is the increase in the country's resilience to external stimuli, which makes progress more gradual, constant and predictable. Thus, the study of the possibilities of diversifying the economy is very...

In 2022, 207.2 million manats were allocated from the state budget to finance international, country-level, and other similar events by the official Baku, and 207 million manats were forecasted for this purpose in the 2023 budget. The practice of financing international events at the expense of...

Since February 2022 - when Russia invaded the Ukraine - the geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus changed dramatically. On the one hand, EU sanctions on Russia made the "Middle Corridor" of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative through the South Caucasus more attractive for China and...

This article evaluates the possible effects of the 11th package of sanctions against Russia in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war on Azerbaijan. This study is important because Russia is one of Azerbaijan's main trade partners and Azerbaijan's main export market in terms of non-oil sector...