Population in Karabakh, East Zangazur nears 65,000—state committee

The population in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions has surpassed 64,000 as of early December, a data from the State Statistics Committee confirms.

The figures highlight significant progress under the state program The Great Return, through which 23,394 individuals have returned to their ancestral homes during the reporting period, Caliber.Az reports.

“The total number of residents in the liberated territories has reached 64,512,” the State Statistics Committee confirmed, underscoring ongoing resettlement and reconstruction efforts in the region.

The government continues to emphasize that the repatriation process is being carried out in phases, in line with security, logistical, and developmental considerations.

Azerbaijan's Great Return program, launched in 2022, aims to resettle approximately 140,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) by 2026 in territories liberated during the 2020 Karabakh conflict.

The initiative encompasses the reconstruction of 100 settlements, including the development of housing, schools, hospitals, and utility networks, with over $4.6 billion allocated between 2020 and 2023 and projections of $17.6 billion by 2030.

The second phase of the Great Return, scheduled for 2026 -2040, aims to achieve the comprehensive restoration and reintegration of all liberated territories.

By Vafa Guliyeva