Doctor headcount in Azerbaijan falls 1.3%, pediatrics and psychiatry hit hardest

The total number of doctors in Azerbaijan stood at 34,776 at the start of 2026, marking a 1.3% decline year-on-year, according to the State Statistical Committee. At the beginning of 2025, the country had 35,233 practicing medical doctors.

The sharpest drops were recorded in psychiatry and pediatrics. The number of psychiatrists fell 12% from 400 to 352, while pediatricians decreased by 10.8% from 3,670 to 3,274. General practitioners dropped 6.9% to 8,294, surgeons fell 4.8% to 3,543, neuropathologists decreased 3.5% to 967, and gynecologists declined 2.4% to 1,920.

Among compared medical specialties, only ophthalmologists saw growth over the period, rising 3.4% from 968 to 1,001.

Gulnar Nazimgizi