The population in Karabakh and East Zangezur is growing rapidly, with the number of local residents approaching 90,000, driven by significant advances in housing construction and job-creating infrastructure.
According to the State Statistics Committee, as of early June this year, approximately 90,000 people are residing in Azerbaijan's liberated territories - the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic zones.
"The total number of residents in the liberated areas reached 88,123," the committee said.
This comes as a result of the first phase of the "Great Return" state program. Whereas a year ago, only dozens of families were returning to their native places, hundreds are now coming back each month, thanks to the restoration of settlements.
In 2025, budget allocations for the restoration of Azerbaijan's de-occupied territories exceeded 4.45 billion manats.
Earlier, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan Emin Huseynov reported that more than 30,000 residents would return to Karabakh by the end of 2026.
By May, 13,700 people had already relocated to the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavend districts alone. Including workers, approximately 50,000 people are currently residing, working, and operating in these three districts.
Huseynov added that the continued return of citizens will be ensured by the commissioning of the fourth and fifth residential complexes in Aghdam, as well as the completion of village construction in Bash Garvand, Dovlatyarli, and Pirakhmadli in the Fuzuli district.
