BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 18. Azerbaijan's spending on defense and national security in the first quarter of 2025 saw a significant increase of nearly 48.6 percent compared to the same period last year.
Data obtained by Trend from the Ministry of Finance indicates that this reflects an additional 663.4 million manat ($390.2 million) allocation.
Moreover, spending on environmental protection increased by 42.6 percent, amounting to 21.5 million manat ($12.6 million). Expenditures for cultural, artistic, informational, physical education, youth policies, and similar activities rose by 27.7 percent, reaching 27.3 million manat ($16 million). Social welfare and social security expenditures saw a 14.4 percent increase, totaling 156.7 million manat ($92.1 million). Furthermore, spending on the judiciary, law enforcement, and prosecution increased by 9.5 percent, equating to 51.7 million manat ($30.4 million), while the education sector received an 8.9 percent boost, with an increase of 84.4 million manat ($49.6 million).