Prime Highlight
- Azerbaijan saw a steady rise in women-led businesses, with over 13,000 SMEs founded by women in 2024, marking a 9% growth compared to 2023.
- Orkhan Mammadov emphasized that supporting women’s entrepreneurship is key to unlocking Azerbaijan’s full economic potential and fostering a fair, inclusive business environment.
Key Facts
- As of January 1, 2025, women make up 48% of Azerbaijan’s employed population, while 23.3% of active individual entrepreneurs are women.
- Women-led startups in Azerbaijan tend to grow faster and generate 10% more revenue over five years, with returns of about 78 cents for every dollar invested.
Background
Azerbaijan saw a steady rise in women-led businesses. In 2024, women founded more than 13,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, said Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA). He shared this update at the Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit 2025 in Baku, organized by the Azerbaijan HR Institute and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Association.
Mammadov said the increase represents a 9 percent growth compared to 2023. Nearly 2,800 women-founded legal entities were registered last year, highlighting the expanding role of women in the country’s business landscape. He stressed that unlocking Azerbaijan’s full economic potential requires greater development of women’s entrepreneurship and stronger institutional support.
He said women face many challenges when starting and growing businesses, so it is important to create a fair environment and give equal opportunities. Citing international research, Mammadov said women-led startups often get less initial funding but grow faster and make 10% more revenue over five years. These startups also give stronger returns, earning about 78 cents for every dollar invested, compared to lower returns in many male-led businesses.
As of January 1, 2025, women account for 48 percent of the country’s employed population, while 23.3 percent of active individual entrepreneurs are women. Mammadov added that KOBIA continues to prioritize targeted programs that support female entrepreneurs, help improve competitiveness, and expand access to finance and training.
He said the agency remains committed to strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women, ensuring they play a larger and more productive role in Azerbaijan’s economic progress.
