A further reduction in the number of municipalities in Azerbaijan would lower administrative costs and increase flexibility in local governance. According to Operative Information Center-OMM, this proposal was put forward by Member of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) Vugar Bayramov during today's plenary session of the parliament.
The MP provided a comparative analysis with regional countries to support the initiative, noting the following figures:
- Bulgaria: 265 municipalities
- Belarus: 200 municipalities
- Romania: 103 municipalities
- Georgia: 69 municipalities
"The number of municipalities operating in Azerbaijan remains high compared to countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This affects the efficiency of their activities as well as their transparency," the lawmaker emphasized. Vugar Bayramov added that the ratio of municipalities per thousand people in Azerbaijan is relatively high, and reducing the total count would be a strategic step toward more effective local administration.
This proposal follows a significant recent reform in Azerbaijan's local government structure. Previously, approximately 1,400 municipalities were merged, reducing the total number to 685. These reforms are part of a broader state strategy to modernize public administration and optimize the use of budgetary resources across the Republic of Azerbaijan. Municipalities in Azerbaijan are elective local self-governing bodies, and their consolidation is aimed at strengthening their financial independence and service delivery capabilities.
