Baku: In the first half of 2026, Azerbaijan's direct investments abroad reached nearly $5 billion, as announced by Samir Nasirov, Director of the Statistics Department of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, during a briefing about the balance of payments.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Nasirov highlighted that this significant investment outflow was a major contributor to the deficit in the capital and financial account. The period in question saw a net deficit of $4 billion under the foreign direct investment item.

Nasirov identified Italy, Trkiye, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Georgia as the primary destinations for Azerbaijan's direct investments abroad. He also reported that the country attracted $3.6 billion in foreign direct investments during this period.

The main countries investing in Azerbaijan included the United Kingdom, Trkiye, China, Russia, and Iran. Additionally, Nasirov pointed out that $3.8 billion was repatriated from direct investments abroad, with the majority of these funds tied to the raw materials and natural gas sectors.