"Since 2003, the Azerbaijani economy has grown overall by 3.4 times. This is the record indicator in the world", said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on February 3 at the conference dedicated to the results of the first year of the execution of "The State Program on the Social-Economic Development of regions of Azerbaijan Republic in 2019-2023".

The head of state said: "All the statistical information can be investigated. I do not believe that there is a growth tempo like this. Throughout these 16 years, the industrial production has increased by 2.7 times, agriculture by 2, foreign trade turnover by 6.4, export by 7.6, as well as non-oil export by 5.2 times. Our currency reserves have risen by 27 times. In 2003, our currency reserves were 1.8 bln, but according to the results of last year, they were 51, and now, they are 52 bln USD. It is a great indicator. Poverty has declined from 50% to 4.8%. It shows that the oil revenues have been distributed fairly.

We have solved a big part of the main infrastructure problems and, at the same time, improved the prosperity of the citizens by using these revenues. Over the last 16 years, the average salary has grown by 11 times and the average pension by 8 times; houses and apartments have been given to more than 300, 000 IDPs and 6, 700 martyr families. It means that these big social programs require big finances. Imagine that houses and apartments have been built for 300, 000 people. Throughout these years, we have constructed an almost Sumgayit or Ganja-size city. To do this, there was a need for political will, calculated policy, and at the same time, finances."