Azerbaijan allocates nearly 5B manats annually to education

Azerbaijan invests close to 5 billion manats (nearly $3 billion) in education each year, said Deputy Minister of Science and Education Idris Isayev during the opening of the 7th SDG dialogue titled "Investing in Education for Azerbaijan's Sustainable Development," Report informs.

Isayev noted that in recent years, various state programs, strategies, and concepts have been implemented in the education sector, with a focus on improving quality, accessibility, and alignment with international standards.

"The largest share of investment in education comes from the state," he emphasized. "Globally, about 85% of education investments are funded by the public sector, and 15% by the private sector. In Azerbaijan, this ratio is slightly different - around 95% of investment comes from the state budget, and only 5% from the private sector."

He added that annual education spending amounts to nearly 5 billion manats ($2.94 billion), which is approximately 3.8% of the country's GDP.

According to Isayev, around 1.6 million students are enrolled in public general education institutions, while about 25,000 study in private schools. Additionally, 15–16% of investments go to higher education, and around 10% of total education spending is directed toward preschool education. The coverage of inclusive education is also expanding, he said.