Economy - overview:
Prior to the decline in global oil prices since 2014, Azerbaijan's high economic growth was attributable to rising energy exports, and some non-export sectors also featured double-digit growth. Oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline, the Baku-Novorossiysk, and the Baku-Supsa Pipelines remain the main economic driver, but efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. The expected completion of the geopolitically important Southern Gas Corridor between Azerbaijan and Europe will open up another source of revenue from gas exports. Declining oil prices caused a 3.1% contraction in GDP in 2016, and a 0.8% decline in 2017, highlighted by a sharp reduction in the construction sector. The economic decline has been accompanied by higher inflation and a weakened banking sector in the aftermath of the two sharp currency devaluations since 2015. Azerbaijan’s financial sector continued to struggle in 2017. In May 2017, Baku allowed the state-owed International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA), the nation’s largest bank, to default on some of its outstanding debt and file for bankruptcy in the US.Azerbaijan has made limited progress with market-based economic reforms. Pervasive public and private sector corruption and structural economic inefficiencies remain a drag on long-term growth, particularly in non-energy sectors, but the government has made efforts to combat corruption, particularly in customs and with the “ASAN” one-stop window concept for government services. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress, including the need for more foreign investment in the non-energy sector and the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. While trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics remains important, Azerbaijan has expanded trade with Turkey and Europe and is seeking new markets for non-oil/gas exports, mainly from the agricultural sector, for example with Gulf Cooperation Council member countries, the US, and others.Long-term prospects depend on world oil prices, Azerbaijan's ability to implement export routes for its growing gas production, and its ability to improve the business environment and diversify the economy. In late 2016, the President approved a strategic roadmap that identified key non-energy segments of the economy for development, such as agriculture, logistics, and tourism. In October, the long-awaited Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, stretching from the Azerbaijani capital to Kars in north-eastern Turkey, began limited service.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$166.8 billion (2017 est.)
$168.6 billion (2016 est.)
$173.9 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 74
$39.21 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
-1% (2017 est.)
-3.1% (2016 est.)
0.6% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$17,400 (2017 est.)
$17,800 (2016 est.)
$18,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 99
25% of GDP (2017 est.)
18% of GDP (2016 est.)
22.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 53.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 12.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 26.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 45.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -38.2% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 6.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 49.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 44.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
fruit, vegetables, grain, rice, grapes, tea, cotton, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats
petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
-6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
5.118 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 37%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 14.3%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 48.9% (2015)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
6% (2017 est.)
6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
4.9% (2015 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 3.4%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 27.4% (2008)
33.7 (2008)
36.5 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $9.852 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $10.4 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
25.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-1.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
48.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
39.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
12% (2017 est.)
12.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
15% (10 March 2017)
15% (14 September 2016)
note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key policy rate for the National Bank of Azerbaijan
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
12.4% (31 December 2017 est.)
12.56% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$6.044 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.06 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$7.86 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$6.521 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$13.79 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.65 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
$732 million (2017 est.)
-$1.363 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$15.69 billion (2017 est.)
$13.21 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
oil and gas roughly 90%, machinery, foodstuffs, cotton
Italy 19.9%, Germany 10.5%, France 8%, Indonesia 5.8%, Czech Republic 5.2% (2016)
$8.734 billion (2017 est.)
$9.004 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals
Russia 15.7%, Turkey 12.5%, US 9.6%, Germany 7.5%, Italy 6.7%, Japan 6.2%, China 5.4%, UK 5.4% (2016)
$8.886 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$7.142 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$16.62 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$80.63 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$73.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$19.05 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$17.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar -
1.723 (2017 est.)
1.5957 (2016 est.)
1.5957 (2015 est.)
1.0246 (2014 est.)
0.7844 (2013 est.)