AZE.US
Housing affordability in Azerbaijan has sharply worsened in recent years, creating growing pressure on young families and people planning to marry.
The issue is no longer limited to rising rents or expensive apartments in central Baku. Even modest housing options are becoming increasingly difficult to access. Today, it is already hard to find a full two-room apartment on the market for less than 200,000 manats, or about $118,000, especially in Baku and areas close to the capital.
For many young families, that price is simply out of reach without a long-term loan, family support or years of savings.
The broader housing problem is also being discussed in the context of Azerbaijan’s rising divorce rate. When a family breaks up, one household often turns into two separate housing needs. That adds pressure to both the rental and sales markets, especially in major cities.
At the same time, economic difficulties are pushing more buyers toward smaller and relatively cheaper apartments. But even this segment is becoming less affordable.
Real estate and construction expert Elnur Azadov told Demokrat.az that there is no precise statistical data showing the direct impact of divorces on the housing market, making it difficult to measure the effect in exact numbers.
However, he said the problem should be viewed more broadly.
“The main question is why the number of people who cannot get married is increasing from year to year. One of the main reasons is that the housing problem has become global in nature. Access to real estate has become much more difficult compared to previous years,” Azadov said.
According to him, apartment prices have risen by about 70 percent over the past four to five years. At the same time, credit opportunities have become more limited, including internal installment plans offered by construction companies.
Azadov said one reason for this is weaker competition among developers. Less competition has contributed not only to higher prices, but also to tougher credit terms.
As a result, young people who want to start a family are among those hit hardest.
The expert also noted that even many already established families are forced to live in rented apartments for years and struggle to find a way out of the situation.
State-backed mortgage programs and other support mechanisms cover only a small part of real market demand, he said. Against this background, Azerbaijan’s housing problem is becoming more serious each year and is increasingly taking on a social character.
High apartment prices also create another risk. When people cannot afford legally documented housing, they may become more likely to consider cheaper options, including illegal or poorly regulated construction.
AZE.US