The Income of Common Azerbaijani Not Consistent With the Income of Azerbaijan Fed by Petrodollars

• 03.28.2015, 16:40
• Greta Avetisyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World,  Analytics

Recently the website of National Master Statistical Information published average monthly net income per person of 162 countries for 2014. As it is written on the website, the data were received using the calculations done by Numbeo (Numbeo is the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide, which provides current and timely information on world living conditions). Among the 162 countries included in the report Azerbaijan is on the 104^th place - average monthly net income per person calculated to be $524.84.

From the first sight it seems that this is not a small amount and the society in this country should live quite satisfied and happy. However, there are facts that prove just the opposite and help to understand, why the Azerbaijani society even in such a close political system raise wave of complaints, why there are so many political prisoners in Azerbaijan and at last, why the freedom of expression is so much violated in this country.

It is not a secret that Azerbaijan is a country with large oil reserves and its main income comes from oil exports. But does the whole income from oil exports go to state budget? According to Azerbaijani official data, average monthly income from oil is $1,420 billion. However, taking into consideration several factors, one can put under question whether this number is real or not. First of all corruption in this country is on quite high level. This is proved also by 2015 report of Freedom House, where the level of corruption in Azerbaijan is estimated 6 (according to Freedom House, 1 means least corrupted and 7 – the most corrupted). It is interesting that even in the report it is mentioned that wealth from the country’s massive oil and gas exports creates ever greater opportunities for graft,  and the ruling party, government officials are rarely held accountable for corruption.

In 2012 Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) called Aliyev the “person of the year,” declaring that well-documented evidence revealed that "his family has secret ownership stakes in the country’s largest businesses.” Since 2012 hardly much has been changed in Azerbaijan, if we take into consideration that the power of the country is in the hands of the same party with its unchanging policy.

According to non-official data, Aliyev's two daughters share a property portfolio of about $75 million, and his son – $45 million, which comprises 8,000 years' worth of salary for a common Azerbaijani citizen.

Thus, all the above-mentioned lives room to suppose that average monthly net income per person in Azerbaijan – $524.84, published by National Master, is not consistent with the income of a country fed by petrodollars.