The draft state budget for 2026 envisages revenues of 38 billion 609 million manats and expenditures of 41 billion 703.6 million manats.
Expenditure directions are listed as follows:
defense and national security – 8.7 billion manats;
economic activity – 7.8 billion manats;
general government services – 5.5 billion manats;
education – 5 billion 15.8 million manats;
social protection and social security – 4.8 billion manats;
judiciary, law enforcement, and prosecution – 3.3 billion manats;
healthcare – 2 billion 24.3 million manats;
agriculture – 1.2 billion manats;
culture, arts, information, physical education, youth policy, and other activities of this kind – 631.6 million manats;
environmental protection – 420.1 million manats;
housing and communal services – 334.4 million manats;
expenditures not classified under main sections – 1.7 billion manats.
To what extent do the expenditure directions of the 2026 state budget align with the current social situation? Has the expenditure distribution in the draft been done correctly?
Speaking to Medianews.az on the topic, economist Natiq Jafarli stated that in fact, the structure of social expenditures in the 2026 budget draft does not significantly differ from the structure of social expenditures in the 2025 state budget: “In other words, structurally it is the same. There are certain increases in the expenditure part, probably for the indexing of social benefits in January of next year.
I do not expect the average monthly salary to increase. But there may be an increase in the base part of pensions. Most likely, there will be some increase in the related social expenditures as well. However, I emphasize once again that structurally the budgets of the last few years are practically identical. The 2026 budget does not differ in this respect either. From a structural perspective, the direction of social expenditures has not changed. This results from the fact that there are still no serious reforms in the social sphere. It has been repeatedly stated in discussions that private pension funds will be established, different approaches will be taken, and certain corrections will be made in social policy. But all of these remain only discussions. We do not see any serious project implemented. Therefore, social expenditures in next year's state budget are almost the same as this year's expenditures.”
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az
