The Situation of Children and Young People at the Regional Level in Azerbaijan Prepared by Azerbaijan Country Statistical Team Co-ordinator: Meri Gardashkhanova State Statistical Committee, Baku MONEE Country Analytical Report November 2004 2 The project to monitor the impact of economic and social change on children in Eastern and Central Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (MONEE) was initiated at the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in 1992. The project seeks to monitor, analyse and disseminate information on economic and social trends affecting children’s rights and wellbeing in countries in the region. A key feature of the Project is a network of correspondents in the 27 National Statistical Offices (NSOs). On an annual basis these correspondents complete an extensive data template which in turn is used for calculating indicators, supporting research of the project and, in due course, being made publicly available as the TransMonee database and in tables and graphs of the Innocenti Social Monitor. For a number of years, each participating NSO prepared a Country Analytical Report based on extensive outline from UNICEF IRC on a different theme on the situation of children every year. These analytical reports have provided valuable input into the research at UNICEF IRC and, as significantly, have also served as important national documents on monitoring aspects of child wellbeing in the countries. Some of these Country Analytical Reports have been issued by the NSOs (in the national language) as part of their publication programme. UNICEF IRC attaches great value to these national assessments of the situation of children and is committed to promote the efforts, including through translating the reports into English (where the submitted report has been in Russian) and offering its website to make them accessible to a wider research audience. The Country Analytical Reports are owned and authored by the National Statistical Offices and are not the intellectual property of UNICEF (see below). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or view of UNICEF. The text has not been edited for official publication standards and UNICEF accepts no responsibility for errors. The designations in this publication do not imply an opinion on legal status of any country or territory, or of its authorities, or the delimitation of frontiers. 3 STATE STATISTICAL COMMITTEE OF AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC THE SITUATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT REGIONAL LEVEL IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN Baku – 2004 4 POLITICAL DIVISION OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN The Republic of Azerbaijan is situated in eastern part of South Caucasus, in the coast of Caspian Sea. The territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan makes 86.6 thousand square kilometers, about 20% of which were occupied by Armenia. Population density is 95.4. The country includes following administrative units: Nakhchivan AR, 66 regions, and 69 towns, of which 8 – cities, 13 urban districts, 227 settlements, 1587 rural territorial district, and 4271 rural settlements. In 2004, the existed 8 cities and 66 regions with its centers were consolidated into 11 economic regions. POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES Population size of Azerbaijan Republic at the end of 2003 year made 8 million 266 thousand person, of which 4 million 254 thousand person or 51.5 per cent were urban population and 4 million 12 thousand person or 48.5 per cent were rural population. Average annual population increase rate during the last 14 years (1990- 2003) made 75 000 persons . Since 1990 the considerable average annual increase rate of population has been observed in Khizy (35.6 per cent), Samukh (32.5 per cent), Jalilabad (32.4 per cent) and in some other regions. Age and sex structure of the country’s population is as follows: 4 million 59 thousand or 49 per cent are male and 4 million 207 thousand or 51 per cent are female; 26 per cent of the population (28 per cent are male, 25 per cent are female) are under 15 years old (0-14 years), and 7 per cent are over age 65 (male - 6 per cent, female - 8 per cent). Predominance of women size is noticeable in Ganja, Mingechevir cities, as well as Akstafa, Bilasuvar, Gakh, Zagatala and some other regions. However, in some regions such as Khizy, Khanlar, Aghjabedy, Gabala men exceed women. Average age of population is 31 years. For many years increasing of the country’s population is realized at the expense of natural increase, namely birth. In 2003, 113.5 thousand infants were born in the country, 2/3 of which - by mothers at the age of 20-29 years. In spite of the fact that, today 48.5 per cent of total population of Azerbaijan and 48.1 per cent of total women of age 18-35 years reside in rural places, the share of infants born in rural places makes 55 per cent of total infants born last year. More higher indicators of birth were in Lerik, Yardimly, Gobustan and in some other regions, and lower indicators were observed in cities of the republic – Ganja, Sumgayit, Ali-Bayramly, and Mingechevir. At present, there are two born children per woman during her life (in 1958 - 1995: five children). If in 1990, the share of children born as third and over made 31 per cent, in 2003 - only 20 per cent. 5 Today the number of women at fertile age reaches to 2 million 459 thousand person. The marital state also has an important influence on birth. In 2003, it was registered 56.1 thousand marriages and dissolved 6.7 thousand marriages, i.e. there were 6.9 marriages and 0.8 divorces per 1000 person against respectively 10.4 and 2 in 1990. According to results of last population census about 1 million 746 thousand or 43% of women at the age of 16 and over are married. More higher indicators of marriage (per 1000 population) were registered in Gobustan, Bilasuvar, Barda, Lerik, and some other regions and more lower indicators – in Baku, Ganja, Sumgayit, Ali-Bayramly and Mingechevir cities. More higher indicators of divorce are in these cities. In 2003, number of children born by women being in unregistered marriage made 11.9 thsd. against 4.8 thsd. in 1990. In the result of divorces, in 2003, about 4.5 thousand children lost one of their parents. In 2003, life expectancy was 72.3 years, or 69.5 years for male, 75.1 years for female against respectively 71.1, 67.0 and 74.8 in 1990. During 2003, 3.8 thousand persons had left the republic and 2.5 thousand persons had arrived. More higher indicator was observed in Apsheron, Baku and Ali-Bayramly cities, and main indicator of migrants – Nakhchivan AR, as well as Mingechevir and Ganja cities. Events that had occurred since 1988 have had essential influence on the demographic situation of Azerbaijan. Along with the occupation of 20% of the territories and numerous human scarifies, conflict with Armenia had also brought to Azerbaijan more than 1 million of refugees and forced migrants, more than half of whom are children and elderly people. Many of these people live in horrible conditions: in tents and uninhabitable places. Refugees and IDP were located in all regions and towns of the country. However, more than 70 per cent of them are concentrated in Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja, Mingechevir cities, as well as Barda, Beylagan, Bilasuvar, Imishly, Saatly, Sabirabad, Tartar, Khanlar and Shamkir regions. REGIONAL ECONOMIC STRUCTURE Gross production output of main fields of economy that includes output of industrial, agricultural products as well as construction, trade, transport and communication services, made 52.5 trillion manat in 2003 and was increased compared to previous year, in actual terms, for 17.6 per cent. During this period, 73.7 per cent of production output was per capital of republic – Baku city, 2.0 per cent – Nakhchivan AR, 1.5 per cent – Sumgayit city, 1.6 per cent – Mingechaur, 1.1 per cent – Ali-Bayrmaly, 0.9 per cent – Ganja city and 19.2 per cent – rest regions of the country occupied mainly in agriculture. 6 In whole by the country, 45.1 per cent of output made industrial production, 13.5 per cent – agricultural, 41.4 per cent – services, including construction. In towns of the republic including Baku city the most part of production and services (55.2%) was produced in industry, 44.7 per cent – in the field of services, and only 0.1 per cent – agriculture. In 2003 in Nakhchivan AR 8.6 per cent from total production output was per the share of industry, 35.0 per cent – agriculture, 56.4 per cent – services. In the rest regions of the country main part of production output (65.8%) made agricultural production. Production output per capita in towns of the republic is fluctuated between 313.4 US$ in Ganja city and 4290.7 US$ in Baku. In Nakhchivan, there were output per capita products and services in the value of 566,7 US$, and in average per inhabitant of rural regions – 376,6 US$. During 2003 for regions development 18.8 trillion manat were directed to capital investments or 2328.7 thousand manat – per inhabitant of republic. Taking into account peculiarity of separate regions the capital investments per capita are differed. For example, if 9681,4 thousand manat is per inhabitant of Baku city, that is higher even than average republic indicator, then in Lenkoran economic region it made only 79,2 thousand manat, Sheki-Zagatala economic region – 87,9 thousand manat, Guba-Khachmaz economic region – 168,5 thousand manat, Ganja-Gazakh economic region – 118,4 thousand manat. GOVERNMENT FINANCING State budget incomes of Azerbaijan Republic in 2003 made 6.1 trillion manat and expenditures – 6.2 trillion manat.