Azerbaijan

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Previous reports: 2023/24




Conscription currently imposed? Yes
Conscientious objection first recognised 1995

Constitution, Article 76.

Implementing legislation not yet promulgated (see below)
Current provisions
Duration
Military service Civilian service (% of military)
18 months None available
CO release of professional soldiers Not permitted
Minimum recruitment age 18 Admission to military schools at 17
Population 1
Total % males 15-19 Thus approx. annual cohort reaching 18
10,650,239 3.9% 83,072
Armed forces
Total strength Of which conscripts Compared to annual cohort above
68,200 Not known Total strength is 82.1% of cohort
Military expenditure
$ (% change from 2023) Per capita % of GDP
3,777m (+3.9%) $366 5.0%

Developments

On 16th December 2024, the Mille Majlis (Parliament) adopted amendments to a number of Acts, including the Law on Mobilisation Preparation and Mobilisation in the Republic of Azerbaijan bringing down the upper age limit for conscription from 35 to 30, entailing also a reduction in the maximum service age, after the 18 month period of obligatory service from 36.5 years to 31.5 years. At the same time, the fines for failure to provide information for military registration and conscription were doubled from a maximum equivalent to $150 for individuals and $650 for legal entities. Avoiding military service leads to a sentence of two years' imprisonment, increased to between three and six years in time of war.2

  1. Population and armed forces figures are derived from The Military Balance 2025, published by the international Institute for Strategic Studies; military expenditure figures are estimates published by SIPRI (The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) in April 2025. ⤴
  2. Source: JAM News, Baku, 17th December 2024.⤴