Azerbaijan - Population

The population of Azerbaijan in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 8,370,000, which placed it as number 89 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 5% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 32% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 95 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 0.89%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 9,450,000. The population density in 2002 was 94 per sq km (244 per sq mi).

It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 57% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Baku, had a population of 1,918,000 in that year. Other urban centers include Gyanja (formerly Kirovabad) with a population of about 294,000 people, and Sumgait with about 273,000. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 1.5%. There has been an additional influx of foreign refugees to the urban centers in recent years.