If you lived in Azerbaijan instead of Bulgaria, you would:

Health

be 83.6% less likely to die by suicide

Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Azerbaijan, it is 1.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.2 years less

In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 35.6% more likely to be obese

In Bulgaria, 20.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, that number is 27.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 66.6% less spent on your healthcare

Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Azerbaijan spends $993 as of 2023.

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have 26.4% fewer doctors per person

Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Azerbaijan has 31.9 as of 2022.

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Economy

be 54.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Azerbaijan, that number is 5.5% as of 2025.

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make 63.5% less money

Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Azerbaijan, the GDP per capita is $7,411 as of 2025.

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Life

have 20.5% more children

In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, 18.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, on the other hand, 12.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 10.1% more likely to have internet access

In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, about 90.8% do as of 2025.

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Expenditures

spend 18.7% less on education

Bulgaria spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Azerbaijan spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 46.1% less on healthcare

Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 98.2% more likely to be murdered

Bulgaria has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, that number is 2.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Azerbaijan, they kill 17.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 41.2% less home broadband

Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Azerbaijan has 21.8 as of 2024.

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live with 43.0% more strain on fresh water

Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Azerbaijan withdraws 58% as of 2022.

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use 55.8% less electricity

Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Azerbaijan uses 2,367 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 28.2% less CO2

Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Azerbaijan emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 81.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Azerbaijan, it causes 114.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Azerbaijan: At a glance

Azerbaijan is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 82,629 sq km. Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors.
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