"Purchasing power in Azerbaijan is much higher than in Georgia and Armenia."
Rufat Guliyev, deputy of the Milli Majlis and member of the Parliament's Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Entrepreneurship, said this in his statement to abzas.org.
Fakt Yoxla examined whether the MP's claim was true.
In order to verify the claim about the purchasing power in Azerbaijan, it is necessary to calculate the ratio of the average monthly wage and minimum wage to the subsistence minimum for all three countries.
The subsistence minimum in Azerbaijan is 210 manats. The average monthly salary in the country is 827 manats, and the average monthly pension is 399 manats. Thus, the average monthly salary in Azerbaijan is 3.9 times higher than the subsistence minimum, and the average monthly pension is 1.9 times higher.
The subsistence minimum in Georgia is 245 GEL (160 AZN). The average monthly salary in this country is 1,541 lari (968 manats). Thus, the average monthly salary in Georgia is 6 times higher than the subsistence minimum.
Pensions in Georgia vary by place of residence and age. Currently, the highest pensions in this country are received by people over 70 years old and living in mountainous areas. The amount of their pension is 360 lari (227 manats).
Persons under the age of 70 who are included in the category of those who do not live in the mountainous areas receive a pension of 260 lari (164 manats). So, the average monthly pension in the country is 1-1.4 times higher than the subsistence minimum.
According to the data for the beginning of this year, the subsistence minimum in Armenia is 73,400 drams (320 manats). The average monthly salary in this country is 236,742 drams (1,033 manats). So, the average monthly salary in Armenia is 3.2 times higher than the subsistence minimum.
The current amount of average monthly pension in Armenia is 46,500 drams (203 manats). The average monthly pension in this country is lower than the subsistence minimum. So, the ratio of the average monthly pension to the subsistence minimum in Armenia is 0.6.
Incomes of the population in the South Caucasus (manats)
Thus, the average monthly salary in Georgia is 6.1 times higher than the subsistence minimum, in Armenia - 3.2 times higher, and in Azerbaijan - 3.9 times higher. The average monthly pension in Georgia is 1-1.4 times higher than the subsistence minimum, and in Azerbaijan - 1.9 times higher, and in Armenia, the ratio of these indicators is 0.6.
Fakt Yoxla concludes that Rufat Guliyev's claim is False.
