infrastructure and slow regulatory reforms in the country proved to be a challenge in
developing medium-level local business and attracting foreign investors.
The Internet plays an increasingly important role in daily life, including politics.
Opposition groups as well as individuals use the Internet as a communications platform, prompting sporadic crackdowns by authorities. The opposition in Azerbaijan is
weak, and its leaders are often targets of government repression. A number of cases
have been reported where journalists have been arrested for criticizing the government
policies. 5
Opposition groups in Azerbaijan are ‘‘seasonal’’ and not well coordinated. Most of
the opposition and political media Web sites are created during elections and are not
periodically updated. After the elections, domain names used in the campaigns are
usually left to expire. Hardly any political media or opposition groups’ Web sites have
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency
KEY INDICATORS
GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2005 international dollars)
7,414
Life expectancy at birth (years)
67
Literacy rate (percent of people age 15þ)
100
Human development index (out of 179)
97
Rule of law (out of 211)
161
Voice and accountability (out of 209)
177
Democracy index (out of 167)
135 (Authoritarian regime)
Digital opportunity index (out of 181)
101
Internet users (percent of population)
18.2
Source by indicator: World Bank 2009a, World Bank 2009a, World Bank 2009a, UNDP 2008, World
Bank 2009b, World Bank 2009b, Economist Intelligence Unit 2008, ITU 2007, Miniwatts Marketing
Group 2009.
150
Azerbaijan
developing medium-level local business and attracting foreign investors.
The Internet plays an increasingly important role in daily life, including politics.
Opposition groups as well as individuals use the Internet as a communications platform, prompting sporadic crackdowns by authorities. The opposition in Azerbaijan is
weak, and its leaders are often targets of government repression. A number of cases
have been reported where journalists have been arrested for criticizing the government
policies. 5
Opposition groups in Azerbaijan are ‘‘seasonal’’ and not well coordinated. Most of
the opposition and political media Web sites are created during elections and are not
periodically updated. After the elections, domain names used in the campaigns are
usually left to expire. Hardly any political media or opposition groups’ Web sites have
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency
KEY INDICATORS
GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2005 international dollars)
7,414
Life expectancy at birth (years)
67
Literacy rate (percent of people age 15þ)
100
Human development index (out of 179)
97
Rule of law (out of 211)
161
Voice and accountability (out of 209)
177
Democracy index (out of 167)
135 (Authoritarian regime)
Digital opportunity index (out of 181)
101
Internet users (percent of population)
18.2
Source by indicator: World Bank 2009a, World Bank 2009a, World Bank 2009a, UNDP 2008, World
Bank 2009b, World Bank 2009b, Economist Intelligence Unit 2008, ITU 2007, Miniwatts Marketing
Group 2009.
150
Azerbaijan