In the past year, the count of officially unemployed individuals in Nakhchivan has risen by 50 percent

The count of individuals recorded as officially jobless in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) has risen by roughly 50 percent in the last year.

As reported by the State Statistical Committee of the RA, by the end of 2025, the official count of individuals classified as unemployed in the autonomous republic was 14,504. In 2024, the number was 9,677 individuals. At present, the total number of individuals employed in the Nakhchivan AR is reported to be 261,000.

To compare: in 2022, merely 190 individuals were recorded as unemployed in the autonomous republic. Four years prior, there were no officially recorded unemployed individuals.

Independent economists have historically doubted the official statistical data regarding the nonexistence of unemployment in Nakhchivan. They believe that due to the slight easing of the autonomous republic's administration in recent years, the truth has started to surface, though only minimally.

As of April 1 this year, there are 246.9 thousand individuals registered as unemployed across Azerbaijan. In the last year, this number has risen by just over 15 thousand.

Independent economists assert that the actual unemployment rate in Azerbaijan is significantly greater than what is shown in official data. They claim that signing up as unemployed in the country is even harder than securing employment.

Vasif Talibov, who served as the chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic since December 1995, was removed from his position four years ago, in 2022. This set the stage for significant transformations in the self-governing republic. On December 22 of that year, President Ilham Aliyev designated his official representative for Nakhchivan. Subsequently, numerous officials in the autonomous republic faced scrutiny for embezzlement and various other allegations.

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was founded in 1924. It shares no land boundaries with other regions of Azerbaijan. Nakhchivan shares its borders with Turkey, Armenia, and Iran.