The development of the energy sector, openness to world trade and formal improvements in management efficiency facilitate the transition of Azerbaijan's economy to a market system. These indicators provide it a score of 60.2 and the 91st position out of 178 in the ranking of economic freedom, prepared by the Heritage Foundation experts.
Thus, the local economy due to the said figures appeared in the list of Moderately Free. The best indicators include "fiscal freedom", "management efficiency" and "free trade." But property rights and freedom from corruption caused serious criticism from experts, which led to a pullback from last year's position by 0.8 points.
The experts believe that the country does not have employees of a high professional level and there is a need to broaden the production base, which requires further transformation and restructuring.
In the table of ranks Azerbaijan is located next to Kazakhstan, Armenia and Turkey, considerably behind Georgia, located in the list of countries with mostly free economy. Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are "mostly non-free" and the economic situation in the CIS is the worst one in Belarus, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where economic freedom is “subdued”.
The ranking leaders in terms of economic freedom are Hong Kong (88.6 points), Singapore (87.8), New Zealand (81.6), Switzerland (81.0) and Australia (80.3).
Heritage Foundation believes that without economic freedom there is no freedom in principle, because it gives people the opportunity to work, make something new, consume, buy, sell and invest on their own choice. --17D-
Economics
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The Baku International Sea Trade Port, a critical link in the Middle Corridor connecting East and West, handled 7.6 million tons of cargo in 2024, marking a 3.2% increase from the previous year. This growth underscores the port's expanding role in global trade and its significance as a transit hub for countries such as China, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, and Russia.
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Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR has acquired a 3% stake in the offshore SARB and Umm Lulu concession in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for $285 million, marking a significant step in deepening energy ties between the two nations. The transaction, completed in May 2024, was completed in January 2025.
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The Baku Small and Medium Business (SME) House and the Miniboss Business School have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills among children, the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) reported on Monday.
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In 2025, Azerbaijan's information security and digital infrastructure remain under pressure, as experts highlight the absence of a National Internet Exchange Point (IXP). Osman Gunduz, head of the NGO Multimediya, has renewed calls for the Information and Communication Technologies Agency (İKTA) to spearhead the creation of a Milli İnternet Mübadilə Mərkəzi (National Internet Exchange Centre) in collaboration with key local providers Azertelecom, Delta Telecom, AzTelekom, and global industry leaders.
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