Results of the First Half of 2026 Discussed at the State Statistical Committee

An extended Board meeting dedicated to the results of the first half of 2026 and the tasks ahead was held at the State Statistical Committee, with the participation of the heads of the structural divisions of the Committee’s Administration, the State Statistical Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and city and district statistical offices.

Opening the meeting, Chairman of the State Statistical Committee Azer Mursagulov stated that the consistent and targeted policy pursued under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, had ensured sustainable economic development in the country and contributed to significant progress in developing the non-oil and gas sector, increasing investment activity and improving the population’s social well-being.

The Chairman emphasised that accurate, timely and reliable official statistics were becoming increasingly important amid global risks and the rapid development of digital technologies.

The Chairman also provided an overview of the work carried out by the Committee over the past six months, including the institutional assessment, the evaluation of the current state of digital transformation, methodological improvements to the system of national accounts, and the expansion of data exchange and technical integration with government agencies. He also noted that new approaches were being introduced in the organisation of statistical surveys and that university students had been involved in conducting sample surveys on tourism.

It was stated that, in order to expand international cooperation and study and apply international best practices, the Committee had participated in major international events, signed cooperation agreements with statistical authorities of foreign countries and held meetings with international organisations.

The Board considered reports on the implementation, in the first half of the year, of the State Programme for the Development of Official Statistics in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2026–2030 and the Statistical Work Programme for 2026, as well as on matters arising from the implementation of the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, the organisation of work and the performance of local statistical offices.

Shortcomings identified during inspections and assessments of the district statistical offices in Gusar, Tovuz, Beylagan, Bilasuvar, Shamakhi and Ismayilli were discussed. Attention was drawn to the need to conduct statistical surveys in accordance with the approved methodology, organise work with respondents effectively and strengthen internal controls over data quality.

“The Committee’s core product is data. Therefore, the accuracy, reliability and quality of statistical data must be the principal criteria guiding our work,” Azer Mursagulov said.

Following the discussions, the Board adopted the relevant decisions. The Chairman instructed the responsible structural divisions to continuously improve the quality of statistical data, address the shortcomings identified and carry out the tasks assigned.