Household expenditures exceed revenues by 3.1%

In 2013, the monthly per capita income in households in Azerbaijan amounted to AZN 214.7, an increase over the previous year by 12.4%. However, they spend more than they earned.

According to the State Statistics Committee, the last year each member of a household had a monthly income from wages by an average of 70.7 manats (+13.8 %). According to the calculations of SSC, the population earns also from self-employment: in the structure of income from this source each household member had in 2013 over a quarter of the family purse (55.2 manat). The summary of these households includes the entire population of the country by the government, and thus determines the level of welfare and poverty.

Higher incomes have village workers: in 2013 the per capita income of each member of the household from agricultural operations averaged 29.8 manats a month, which is 13.3 % more than in 2012. The value of pensions (29.3 manat) in the structure of income roughly corresponds to this indicator.

Revenues of other families in the country last year averaged 16.5 manat per month (14.5 %). SSC explained to Turan that these incomes include helping parents or vice versa, as well as illegal receipts. Last year, foreign transfers to each member of the households in Azerbaijan were 5.80 manat per month, which is 50 gepiks more than in 2012.

In the structure of expenditure (221.4 manat per month) in the past year buying food products (excluding alcoholic beverages and tobacco products) prevails - 91.8 manats a month. Physical growth of expenses for their purchase for the year was 4.5 manats. Total monthly expenses per capita grew to 19.4 manats. Costs for utilities in the past year increased from 14.9 to 17 manat per capita. Given the level of income and a lot spent on clothes and shoes in the past year, every citizen spent 15.9 manat a month or 2.1 more than in 2012.

In Azerbaijan, secondary education and health care are free. However, citizens in the study of their expenses claimed that in 2013 they spent on average is 10.3 and 4.3 manats per month. If we consider that the communication costs per capita last year amounted to 6.8 manat, these figures should not seem enough.

Greater was share (6.4%) of the costs of transport - 14.2 manat (+14.5 % compared with 2012).

It is noteworthy that, in determining the minimum subsistence level government takes as its basis more moderate figures for the costs of utilities, transportation, education and health.

On leisure activities (leisure and cultural activities) and hotels, going to restaurants and cafes, each member of the household in 2013 spent 9.3 and 18.7 manats a month respectively.

According to the SSC, the level of poverty in Azerbaijan in 2013 was 5%. - 08B-