AZE.US
Azerbaijan is weighing new support measures for young people looking to start families as concern grows over a decline in marriages and the rising cost of housing.
One of the main reasons many young couples delay marriage is the lack of access to affordable housing. Buying a home now typically requires at least 80,000 to 100,000 manats, a level that puts heavy pressure on anyone without a high income or the ability to take on significant debt.
Speaking to Globalinfo.az, economist Natig Jafarli said the country already has a form of social mortgage support, but its scale remains too limited to meet actual demand. He said social mortgages account for only about 4% of the market, while the number of applicants is far higher.
Jafarli argued that the housing issue should not be viewed only through the lens of Baku. In his view, Azerbaijan should create incentives for young families to settle in other parts of the country, including the territories retaken from Armenian control.
He proposed offering interest-free loans, housing support and job opportunities to young families in areas such as Khankendi, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Zangilan and Gubadli. According to him, such an approach could address several problems at once by supporting family formation, accelerating settlement in Karabakh and East Zangezur, creating jobs and boosting the construction sector.
He also warned that Baku has already become heavily overloaded and that the capital’s infrastructure problems are becoming harder to ignore, with even heavy rain capable of causing major disruption across the city.
The discussion, then, is no longer just about marriage rates or mortgage access. It is increasingly about whether Azerbaijan can link family policy, housing access and regional development into one broader strategy.