AZE.US
The number of children born in Azerbaijan fell by 15% between 2022 and 2025, highlighting the country’s growing demographic challenges.
Azerbaijan recorded 112,846 births in 2022, compared with 95,875 in 2025, according to data from the State Statistical Committee. The decline amounted to 16,971 births over three years.
The number of marriages is also falling. A total of 15,107 marriages were registered in Azerbaijan during the first five months of 2026.
Experts say the trend is not unique to Azerbaijan. Changing attitudes toward marriage and family life, the desire for greater financial security and a preference for smaller families are contributing to declining birth numbers around the world.
Some specialists estimate that the annual number of births in Azerbaijan has fallen by approximately 70,000 over the past decade.
Fewer Maternal and Infant Deaths
The decline in births has coincided with a reduction in the number of maternal and infant deaths.
Azerbaijan registered 2,039 infant deaths in 2023. The figure fell to 1,420 in 2024 and 1,312 in 2025. Maternal deaths were also reported to have decreased from 33 to 26.
These figures represent absolute numbers rather than mortality rates per 1,000 births. The falling number of births should therefore also be considered when assessing the overall improvement.
Medical professionals attribute the decline partly to better prenatal monitoring, timely examinations, stronger supervision of pregnant women and improved maternity services at central district hospitals.
However, serious risks remain during pregnancy and childbirth. Sudden bleeding, sharp increases in blood pressure and chronic illnesses can endanger both the mother and the fetus.
Among newborns, the main risks include birth injuries, asphyxia, infections, hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, severe metabolic disorders and congenital abnormalities.
Doctors have also urged the public to take vaccination seriously. If an unvaccinated woman contracts rubella during pregnancy, the risk of severe congenital disorders in the baby can rise significantly.
Demographic Decline Could Affect Labor Market
Experts warn that a continued fall in births could eventually leave Azerbaijan facing labor shortages, fewer teaching positions as school enrollment declines and greater demand for migrant workers.
Potential policy responses include helping young people start families, improving employment opportunities, expanding child benefits and lowering the threshold for large-family status to three children.
The decrease in maternal and infant deaths is a positive sign for Azerbaijan’s healthcare system. The simultaneous decline in births, however, presents the country with a broader and more complex long-term demographic challenge.
AZE.US