The IMF forecasts that assets of Azerbaijan’s state oil fund SOFAZ will steadily increase over the coming years from USD 60.0 bln at the end of last year, to USD 62.2 bln by 2030. The fund also expects a slight decrease in central bank reserves over this period, though only by USD 200 mln. Further, the ADB says it expects the fiscal deficit in Azerbaijan to widen this year to 2.4% of GDP, before narrowing to 2.0% in 2026. It expects moderate economic growth this year of 4.2%, with inflation remaining a persistent risk.