During the 20th century, there was substantial population growth and urbanisation in Northern Azerbaijan.  Between 1897 and 2000, the population more than quadrupled, from 1,806,700 to 8,016,200.

The population increased by a factor of 17 between 1869 and 1914.  This was largely due to the oil boom and improved communications, with economic growth attracting immigrant labour on a massive scale.

Over the last twenty centuries, periods of population growth have been matched by occasional demographic crises.

Between 1914 and 1920, for example, the first World War, the Russian Revolution and ethnic cleansing  combined to produce a 17% drop in population.

After a short period of post-war economic growth and demographic recovery, when the general Soviet policies of industrialisation and collectivization, with all their good and bad sides, were applied, the second World War brought a further demographic crisis.

After 1945, the population again increased rapidly.  The most recent stage in the country’s demographic development began in 1988.  Economic recession and consequences of Garabagh conflict led to a fall in the birth rate, an increase in the death-to-birth ratio, and substantial internal and external migration.  Starting in the late 80s, the drift to the cities also slackened.  The urban population accounted for 54.2% of the whole in 1989, and  51% in 2000.

Political stability, the cease-fire maintained since 1994 and planned economic growth are among the factors which have improved the demographic structure in the last few years.  Between 1994 and 2000, life expectancy increased, and the death rates fell, both for adults and children.

Azerbaijan is notable for its high birth rate.  In 1995, for example, 142.3 thousand children were born.  In the last five years, however, the birth rate has fallen.  Infant mortality stands at 34.8 per 1000 births.

Azerbaijan has a tradition of longevity (average life expectancy: women – 70.8, men – 67.0 years).  For every 100,000 people, there are 80 aged 100 and over.  The record for longevity is held by Shiraly Muslimov (161).  But Azerbaijan is also a country of young people.

Children below the age of 14 account for one-third of the total population. People between the ages of 14 and 64 account for 62.7%.

Azerbaijanis account for 90% of the population, and are racially south Europeans (Caspian branch).  Azerbaijani belongs to the south-western family of Turkic languages.  The country itself is multinational. Russians, who started arriving in the early 19th century, form a sizable minority.  Other significant minorities include Lezghins, Avars, Tsakhurians and Udins and Talishians, Kurds and Tats, Armenians, Tatars, Georgians, Jews, etc.

The official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani.

Most of the population are Muslims. In addition to the Muslim mosques, there are 5  Orthodox churches, 4 Armenian-Gregorian churches, 3 Jewish synagogues, and 13 Molokanian, Georgian, Protestant and other churches.

The educational level of Azerbaijan’s population for 2001 is 90,8%. 10,8% have higher education, 0.9% have uncompleted higher education, 12,2% have special secondary education, 51,1% have ordinary secondary education, 15,8% have primary schooling.

The following table gives a breakdown of the employment situation.

As the following table shows, there has also been a pronounced shift from the state to the non-state sector.

The percentage figure for the non-state sector (66.5%) breaks down as follows: 38.5% private sector, 10% semi-state bodies, 0.8% agencies funded from abroad, 1% culture, 16.2% self-employed.