Women-led businesses surge in Azerbaijan
Number of small and medium-sized enterprises founded by women in Azerbaijan is rising steadily
BAKU, Azerbaijan (MNTV) — The number of small and medium-sized enterprises founded by women in Azerbaijan is rising steadily, Orkhan Mammadov, chairman of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA), said at the Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit 2025 in Baku.
The summit, organized by the Azerbaijan HR Institute and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Association, highlighted the expanding role of women in the country’s economic landscape.
Mammadov said strengthening women’s entrepreneurship is essential for unlocking national economic potential. He called for improved conditions that allow women to start and scale businesses, including removing structural barriers.
Citing international studies, he noted that women-led startups, despite receiving less early-stage funding, grow faster and post 10 percent higher revenue over five years. They also convert investment into returns more efficiently, generating 78 cents per dollar invested.
As of Jan. 1, 2025, women make up 48 pc of Azerbaijan’s employed population, with 23.3 pc of active individual entrepreneurs being women.
Nearly 2,800 women-founded legal entities were registered in 2024, pushing the total number of women-founded SMEs to more than 13,000 — a 9 pc rise from 2023. Mammadov said KOBIA is prioritizing programs that support and expand women’s participation in the SME sector.
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