Elnur Aliyev: non-oil and gas sector accounts for 70.3% of Azerbaijan's GDP

The non-oil and gas sector generated 70.3% of Azerbaijan's gross domestic product in January-September 2026, First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev said.

He spoke at the third National Competition Forum, organized by the State Agency for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control.

Average annual real growth in the non-oil and gas sector came to about 6% in 2021-2025, Aliyev said.

Of the 14.7 billion manats invested in fixed capital in the first nine months of 2026, 9.8 billion manats went to the same sector, he said.

The number of labor contracts in the non-oil and gas private sector rose by 36,000 from the start of 2026 to 1,067,000, Aliyev said. That is 56.5% of all labor contracts in the country.

"These figures show that the conditions of entrepreneurial activity have a direct impact on a large part of the economy and of employment. Difficulties with market access, financing and access to infrastructure show up both in investment and in the creation of new jobs," he said.

Improving the business environment and widening the scope for competition matter for the sustainability of economic development, Aliyev said.

Raising productivity, cutting production and transport costs and strengthening positions in foreign markets are essential for increasing non-oil and gas exports, he said.

A healthy competitive environment on the domestic market helps companies become more efficient and better prepared to enter international markets, he said.

The effect of the decisions taken and of state support mechanisms depends on how they are applied in practice, on the market access available to entrepreneurs and on the removal of existing barriers, Aliyev added.