According to official data released by the State Statistical Committee, while 151,634 teachers were active in the 2022/2023 academic year, this figure decreased to 150,868 in 2023/2024. At the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year, the number of teachers further decreased to 146,381.
Looking at the gender distribution, a sharper decrease is observed in the number of female teachers. Specifically, while the number of female teachers was 124,293 in 2022/2023, this figure increased to 124,840 in 2023/2024, but then decreased to 120,633 in 2024/2025. A decrease was also recorded in the number of male teachers. While 27,341 male teachers were active in 2022/2023, this figure dropped to 26,028 in 2023/2024, and further to 25,748 in 2024/2025.
Regarding salaries, while the average salary of a teacher was 533 manats in 2021, this figure rose to 720 manats in 2022, and to 830 manats in 2023. The increase continued in 2024, with the average monthly salary reaching 920 manats. For 2025, this indicator has risen to 965 manats.
It should be noted that this issue has resurfaced after Ali Ahmadov, First Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis, announced that 50,000 teachers would be laid off in the coming years.
Education expert Elmin Nuri, commenting on the issue to Modern.az, noted that a process of merging schools with fewer than 100 students with larger schools has been implemented in the country. On the other hand, student density is high, especially in schools in Baku, Sumgayit, and Absheron, and students are often concentrated in a few classes.
“This changes the structure of demand for teachers. At the same time, in the modern era, teaching is no longer considered a profession without alternatives. Individuals educated in various specialties can work not only in schools but also in private educational institutions, courses, projects, and other programs. That is, a teacher's activity is not limited solely to schools.
Nevertheless, hundreds of qualified teachers enter the labor market in Azerbaijan every year. However, the decrease in the number of schools and students creates a serious imbalance between the number of personnel and existing opportunities. Statistical indicators also confirm this: the number of students entering the first grade decreases year by year. This is related to demographic factors.”
E. Nuri noted that while the total number of students was approximately 1.6 million about 15 years ago, this figure is projected to decrease to 1 million in the coming years:
“This means a shortage of at least half a million students. Consequently, the number of classes, teaching hours, and schools overall will decrease. This process will directly affect teachers' workload and salaries.”
The expert noted that in the current environment, competition among teachers will also intensify. More prepared, skilled, and professional teachers will be able to retain their jobs and even earn higher incomes. For others, the situation will be more challenging.”
“Compared to the past, the decrease is clearly visible. For example, while there used to be 5 classes per parallel, this number has now dropped to 3-4 in some schools. This trend is becoming increasingly noticeable.”
Teachers should not be dependent on schools:
“It is important to identify the problem, but the main issue is finding solutions. Teachers should not be solely dependent on schools. If there are no vacant positions in schools, teacher candidates should not have to wait for years for competition results. In this regard, the development of the private education sector is of particular importance.
Because this process is not only socio-economic but also socio-demographic in nature. The decrease in the number of students chain-reacts, affecting other sectors as well. In such a situation, the main question is: how should teachers adapt to these changes?
Consequently, opportunities may expand for teachers who gain an advantage in competition. However, it is essential to create alternative employment opportunities to ensure that others are not left out of the system,” he noted.
