Azerbaijan

Peoples Under Threat Ranking:
#25
19

Communities at risk

Armenians

Summary

Azerbaijan has rocketed up the Peoples under Threat index in 2021, primarily owing to events surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Armenia from September to November 2020, which halted with a Russia-backed ceasefire. Situated within and now partly controlled by Azerbaijan, the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is populated by mainly ethnic Armenians, nearly 100,000 of whom… Read more »

Peoples Under Threat Data

2021 Data Peoples under Threat value
Self-determination conflicts4
Major armed conflict2
Prior genocide / politicideNo data
Flight of refugees and IDPs0.0705
Legacy of vengeance - group grievance6.1
Rise of factionalized elites7.9
Voice and Accountability-1.546
Political Stability-0.725
Rule of Law-0.691
OECD country risk classification5
TOTAL13.625

The overall measure for each country is based on a basket of 10 indicators. The number in each row is drawn from the source for that particular indicator. The sources of data and calculations used are detailed on the Notes to Table page. 

Background

Azerbaijan has rocketed up the Peoples under Threat index in 2021, primarily owing to events surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Armenia from September to November 2020, which halted with a Russia-backed ceasefire. Situated within and now partly controlled by Azerbaijan, the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is populated by mainly ethnic Armenians, nearly 100,000 of whom were recently displaced by fighting. More than 6,500 people, the vast majority soldiers, died in the conflict as Azerbaijan gained control of additional territory previously held by Armenia. Still, attacks by both sides, using indiscriminate weapons systems, were carried out repeatedly on civilian areas far from any discernible military targets. Civilians in conflict-affected areas remain at huge risk, particularly due to the growing number of unexploded landmines and cluster munitions which, following an earlier war decades ago, both sides have used in contravention to international law. Tensions have since flared, especially following border clashes in May and November 2021, which could incite further outbreaks of violence.