SDGs Progress in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has no serious poverty problem. It is above the average of regional and peer countries in a way to compete with developed nations.
- The National Poverty Line has been increasing almost by half since 2015, currently standing at 240 AZN
- However, cost of labor and real income of population fall short compared to the developed countries due to the economic crisis of 2015 and devaluation of manat.
- By international indicators, Azerbaijan and its peer countries, except Georgia, is performing well by 0% poverty headcount ratio.
- By comparing national poverty indicators, Azerbaijan is doing better than the peer countries, including Germany.

SDG 2 : Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

The country has proved itself viable in terms of equity distribution and terminating undernourishment across all ages.
- Except Georgia, there is no undernourishment issue in the peer countries as well as Azerbaijan.
- However, Azerbaijan faces serious malnourishment challenges for healthy life style.
- Among the compared countries, Azerbaijan has the quickest increase in death attributed to obesity

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Overall, healthcare level is not satisfactory in Azerbaijan and there is a big difference between Azerbaijan's results and developed countries. However, Azerbaijan's healthcare results are more or less similar to the post-Soviet countries while demonstrating better statistics than the most in certain fields.
- Maternal Mortality Ratio in Azerbaijan started to increase since 1990s and the curve was flattened since 2006.
- Despite slow decrease in Maternal Mortality Ratio, Azerbaijan is still falling behind the peer countries while briefly taking over Georgia in 2016.
- Infant mortality rate is also among the highest in Azerbaijan, but the success in bringing infant mortality rate down is greater than the maternal mortality ratio.

Although, tuberculosis was the highest in Azerbaijan until 2010, Azerbaijan took over Georgia and Ukraine in 2012 falling back in comparison to Germany.
- Azerbaijan performs best in tobacco use among women and falls back only from Germany among men.

SDG 4: Quality Education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong education for all

Literacy level is 100% in Azerbaijan and country had been known as the scientific center of the USSR where the children of the political elite would be educated Maths in Baku.
- Tertiary School Enrollment is the highest in Azerbaijan among the compared countries since 2016 when Azerbaijan overtook Georgia.
- Azerbaijan has 90%-100% trained teachers at different levels of education.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Azerbaijan granted voting right to women in 1918 preceding most of the nations. However, there is pay gap and lack of social representation for women.
- Only 17% of the seats in the National Parliament are held by women in Azerbaijan. In the elections of 2020, the number was increased to 21%, but it is still not satisfactory. However, this numebr secured Azerbaijan's place above the compared countries, except Germany.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Ensure availabilty and sustainable management of water and sanitation

Azerbaijan has the least water sources in the Caucasus region since all its river start from the territories of the neighboring countries.
- In the analyzed data, Azerbaijan performed the worst among all the countries for its safely managed drinking water services.
- The situation is well in the capital city of Baku and the northern and southern part of the country. However, central part (Aran region) is lacking water resources.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Azerbaijan heavily relies on fossil fuels as its energy sources, especially on gas.
- Although country has hydroelectric plants and wind power, they supply only approx. 20% of entire energy needs.
- Azerbaijan performs best for access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking overtaken only by Germany.
- Although, Azerbaijan was performing the same with Germany in Share of Renewable Energy in 2010, its indicators have been in steady decline, thus becoming the worst performer in the field.

SDG 8: Decent Jobs and Economic Growth

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

GDP per capita of Azerbaijan had increased from 2010 to 2014, but it plummeted between 2014 and 2016.

Due to economic crisis of 2015 caused by reduced oil prices, the national currency of Azerbaijan devaluated and the GDP was reduced more than half within a year.
However, Azerbaijanian economy has slowly recovered from recession since 2016.
It is currently similar to that of Georgia and larger than that of Ukraine.

The situation of labor market has been relatively good.

The unemployment rate of Azerbaijan has been similar to that of Germany, while that of Georgia and Ukraine has been higher than that of Azerbaijan.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Build resilient in infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Manufacturing has maded up roughly 5% of GDP in terms of value added since 2010, which is the lowest among the peer countries.

Azerbaijan has invested little resources in terms of expenditure and researchers compared to Germany.

Azerbaijan held 94th rank among 144 nations in its investments in R&D according to the Global Competiteveness Index 2019
Azerbaijan has more researcher than Georgia or Ukraine, while spend less on R&D as % of GDP than them.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Labor share of GDP provides information about the relative share of output which is paid as compensation to employees (wages and social protection transfers) as compared with the share paid to capital in the production.

Azerbaijan shows progress, rising closely to Germany, wheares Ukraine's labor share has decreased.

Azerbaijan's remittance costs are lower than 3% which is the target.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable

Transport emissions are accountable for 80% of air pollution. However, country is making a steady progress towards reducing the air pollution and gradual decrease is observed in statistics. Here are some measures taken by Azerbaijan in this sense:

Replacement of medium-sized buses with large ones in public transport
Implementation of intellectual transport management system
Gradual implementation of Euro emission standards for vehicles
Passed the primary law on air quality for ambient air protection N 109-IIQ/27.03.2001.
Signatory on various international conventions, including Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, Convention on Climate Change, Montreal Protocol

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Azerbaijanian government had increased fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, while Ukraine had shown progress.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Although, Azerbaijan's CO₂ emission is slowly rising, it is still emitting less CO₂ than Germany and Ukraine whereas Georgia's CO₂ emission is likely to oevrtake Azerbaijan in a few years.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development

More than half of the freshwater resources of Azerbaijan is withdrawn.

Azerbaijan is recording an unstable water treatment results, currently reaching more than 50% of treating the waste waters.

SDG 15: Life on Land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and reserve land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

All the compared countries indicate a continous stable forest areas, meaning a noteworthy protection of forest areas while Azerbaijan is slightly increasing its forest areas.

All the countries perform maintained Red Index, led by Germany.

SDG 16: Peace and Justice-Strong Institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive instructions at all levels

Azerbaijan's budget spending is unstable and it often surpasses the originally approved budget expenditures reaching the peak expenditure indicator in 2011.

Homicide level is lower than Georgia and Ukraine, but not Germany. Hence, Azerbaijan is the safest post-Soviet country and very close to German level.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Azerbaijan has a high level of internet users peaking up to the 86% in 2019 and reaching 91% in 2021, which is equal or even higher than the developed country standards.

Dept services of Azerbaijan has slighly increased since the economic crisis of 2015, but still falls back than Ukraine very close to Georgia.
Except Germany, Azerbaijan has the notable lowest personal remittance rate among the compared countries.

References

World Bank: https://datatopics.worldbank.org/sdgs/
SDG Tracker: https://sdg-tracker.org/
The Sustainable Development Report: https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/explorer/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-1-90-day/chart
UNECE: https://w3.unece.org/SDG/en/Home
State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan(for SDGs): http://sdg.azstat.org:8484/en/home