AZE.US
Azerbaijan’s expected increase in the minimum wage could affect around 700,000 people, according to MP Vugar Bayramov.
The issue follows recent amendments to the country’s Labor Code. Bayramov said President Ilham Aliyev approved the changes on February 23, 2026, making it legally required for the minimum wage to be reviewed at least once a year.
Under the new rule, the minimum wage must be reconsidered and increased at least once within a year from the date the amendments were approved.
Bayramov said the impact will not be limited to workers who receive the lowest salaries. A rise in the minimum wage also affects employees whose pay is linked to the unified tariff schedule.
After the minimum wage is increased, the Cabinet of Ministers usually makes a separate decision on related salary levels and payments. That means the effect can extend beyond minimum-wage earners to broader groups of public-sector and state-linked employees.
The MP said the new legal framework turns minimum wage increases into a regular process rather than a one-time decision.
Bayramov also noted that Azerbaijan’s unified tariff schedule includes 19 salary grades. At present, the lowest monthly salary under the system is 400 manats, while the highest is 1,150 manats.
For workers, the key point is that a minimum wage increase can trigger wider salary adjustments across several categories. That is why the issue is not only about the lowest-paid employees, but about a broader income shift affecting hundreds of thousands of citizens.
AZE.US