Azerbaijan_hero_map
Flag of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Freedom at a Glance
Global Freedom
7 / 100
Not Free
Internet Freedom
37 / 100
Not Free
Nations in Transit
1 / 100
Consolidated Authoritarian Regime

Power in Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his extended family. Corruption is rampant, and the formal political opposition has been weakened by years of persecution. The authorities have carried out an extensive crackdown on civil liberties in recent years, leaving little room for independent expression or activism.

Research & Recommendations

Azerbaijan

Not Free
7
100
PR Political Rights 0 40
CL Civil Liberties 7 60
Last Year's Score & Status
9 100 Not Free
Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology.

Overview

Power in Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his extended family. Corruption is rampant, and the formal political opposition has been weakened by years of persecution. The authorities have carried out an extensive crackdown on civil liberties in recent years, leaving little room for independent expression or activism. In 2023, Azerbaijani forces seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh—an ethnic Armenian enclave that had enjoyed de facto independence since 1994—following a months-long blockade and a two-day military operation; the surrender of local political leaders and defense forces prompted nearly the entire ethnic Armenian population of the territory to flee to the Republic of Armenia.

Previous Reports: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Freedom in the World 2024 Policy Recommendations

Azerbaijan

Not Free
37
100
A Obstacles to Access 11 25
B Limits on Content 15 35
C Violations of User Rights 11 40
Last Year's Score & Status
38 100 Not Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). See the research methodology and report acknowledgements.

Overview

Internet freedom continues to be restricted in Azerbaijan. During the coverage period, the state temporarily blocked access to TikTok amid renewed tensions with Armenia. The government continued to manipulate the online information landscape, blocking numerous independent and opposition websites and forcing activists to remove content. The government also launched a media registry, required by the new media law adopted in 2022, and rejected the applications of several independent news outlets to join the registry. Prosecution of activists for their online criticism of the government continued during the coverage period. Additionally, activists faced online harassment, doxing, and blackmail.

Previous Reports: 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023
Freedom on the Net 2023 Policy Recommendations

Azerbaijan

Consolidated Authoritarian Regime
1
100
DEMOCRACY-PERCENTAGE Democracy Percentage 1.19 100
DEMOCRACY-SCORE Democracy Score 1.07 7
Last Year's Democracy Percentage & Status
1 100 Consolidated Authoritarian Regime
The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 1 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for the categories tracked in a given year. The Democracy Percentage, introduced in 2020, is a translation of the Democracy Score to the 0-100 scale, where 0 equals least democratic and 100 equals most democratic. See the methodology.

Overview

Authoritarianism persisted in Azerbaijan in 2023. The presidential administration wielded significant power and showed little interest in genuine democratic change. Both the national legislature and local municipalities operated under the influence of the executive branch and therefore were unable challenge presidential administration. The dominance of the executive branch over both the legislative and judicial branches eroded effective checks and balances. Authorities also tightly controlled the media’s access to governmental information. The Milli Majlis, Azerbaijan’s unicameral parliament, often supported President Aliyev’s decisions and failed to hold the executive branch accountable. An anticorruption initiative launched in 2019 lost momentum in 2023. After a number of prominent officials were charged with corruption in 2022, only low-ranking officials faced corruption charges in 2023.

Previous Reports: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Nations in Transit 2024 Policy Recommendations

News and Updates

Freedom House Perspectives

News Releases & Media Coverage

Policy & Advocacy

Country Facts

Basic Facts

Global Freedom Score
7
/ 100
Not Free
Internet Freedom Score
37
/ 100
Not Free
Nations in Transit Score
1
/ 100
Consolidated Authoritarian Regime
Population: 10,140,000

Internet Facts

Status
Not Free
Networks Restricted
No
Social Media Blocked
Yes
Websites Blocked
Yes
Pro-government Commentators
Yes
Users Arrested
Yes

Election Facts

Status
Not Tracked

Transnational Repression

Status
Not Tracked