Azerbaijan increases expenditures on national security, defence

Defence and national security expenditures within Azerbaijan's state budget amounted to 2.027 billion manats (approx. $1.19 billion) which equals to 120.8 per cent in comparison to the allocated target amount.

According to data from the Ministry of Finance, this represents a 48.6 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, which amounts to 663.4 million manats (approx. $390.2 million), Caliber.Az reports.

During the reporting period, defense and national security spending accounted for 25 per cent of actual government expenditures.

Finance Minister Samir Sharifov spoke back in December 2024 on the government's plan to increase the budget allocated for those branches. According to him, the government recommended that a number of public legal entities cover their expenses not from the state budget, but to a greater extent through their own revenues by mobilizing the potential for additional income. As a result, funds would become available to be redirected to provide additional financial support for measures aimed at strengthening Azerbaijan’s defence and national security.

By Nazrin Sadigova