Baku - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Small-medium size. Morale is what you make of it. Post runs really well at least given the operating environment so that is always helpful for morale. - Sep 2023
There's a sizable expat community due to the large BP presence. Morale is high both within the diplomatic mission and through the greater expat community. - Aug 2023
There are some expats; not a huge community but decent amount. The morale among the families I think is ok but within the singles/younger couples without children tends to be quite low. There isn't much to do for this group. - Jun 2023
It's a decent size, mostly due to all the BP oil families. We've been friends with a variety of folks from BP and the German Embassy. Some of the BP folks have been here forever. Morale is mostly good. If you have to work on political issues morale can be dampened at times. It's not an easy place to work, but the ease of life can make up for that. We stayed here for four years so ... - Jun 2021
It's pretty big, mostly Brits/Scots due to the oil companies. People seem to have no problem making expat friends if they want them. - Jan 2019
Not sure about the numbers, but the expat community seems medium-sized. Lots of oil people, other diplomats and business people. Overall morale seems good. Most of our friends have really enjoyed their time here. I found that those who had several cushy posts before coming here (especially posts in Europe), had a harder time adjusting. We came from a harder hardship post than Baku, so for us, this place was much easier. It might take a little bit to make friends beyond the people who live in your housing complex, just because housing is so spread in Baku and we didn’t have a Community Liaison Office (CLO) Coordinator for a while, but that’s all changing. - Jul 2018
It's very common to run into people you know when going out to restaurants, Fountain Square, Old City, so in that sense, the expat community is not large. Since the expat community is comprised of diplomats, oil companies, and other business people, you can make a variety of expat friends. I think morale is generally high, although many people have said it took them 3-6 months to adjust before they really start enjoying life in Baku. - May 2018
I think we're medium size. Morale was great when we got here, but I feel like it's gone downhill a little bit recently. - Mar 2017
Expat community is large due to oil companies in Baku. Morale is pretty good. Sometimes embassy employees forget they are at a hardship post and complain about minor inconveniences, but overall the morale is good. - Jul 2015
Relatively large considering the size of the city and country. There are lots of oil people here, the embassy is smaller - about 70 US employees. - Jan 2013
Fairly large. - Dec 2011
Large - Sep 2010
Huge, because of oil company employees. 4000-5000. - Aug 2010
Large. - Oct 2009
Probably about 500 people. - Nov 2008
Large. - Sep 2008
Pretty large with diplomats, oil company employees and ngos workers in Baku. - Sep 2008
