BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 1. A total of 3.11 billion manat ($1.82 billion) was allocated to micro-entrepreneurship entities in Azerbaijan last year.
Data obtained by Trend from the Central Bank of Azerbaijan shows that this figure increased by 477.4 million manat ($279 million), or 18.2 percent from 2023 (2.63 billion manat or $1.54 billion).
The business loan portfolio of Azerbaijani banks increased by 17.2 percent compared to the previous year, or by 2.17 billion manat ($1.27 billion), reaching 14.79 billion manat ($8.68 billion).
As of January 1 of this year, 178,061 micro-entrepreneurship entities have been operating in Azerbaijan.
Of these, 11,829 operated in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries; 10,850 in manufacturing; 16,438 in construction; 62,278 in trade and vehicle repair; 13,830 in professional, scientific, and technical activities; and 10,986 in providing administrative and support services. The fewest micro-entrepreneurship entities operate in electricity, gas, and steam production, distribution, and supply, with only 191 entities in this sector.