Now is the moment for decentralisation

Republic of Armenia

Form of government: parliamentary
Structure: unitary
Area: 29,743 sq. km.
Population: 2.99 million people (as of January 1, 2024)
GDP per capita in Armenia: 8,280 USD (2023)
GDP in Armenia: 24.218 billion USD (2023)

Number of regions: 10
Number of communities: 70, of which 63 are united communities, 5 are ununited, inhabited by national minorities, 2 largest cities: Yerevan and Gyumri
The largest region by area: Gegharkunik (5349 sq. km)
The smallest region by area: Vayots Dzor (2308 sq. km)
The largest community by population: Yerevan (1.13 million people, the capital)

The smallest community by population: Metsadzor (294 people)
The largest community by area: Sisian (1719 sq. km)
Community budget revenues: 1.19% of GDP, 0.09% of the consolidated budget (Ministry of Territorial Development of the Republic of Armenia)
Community budget expenditures: 0.12% of GDP, 7.54% of the consolidated budget (Law of the Republic of Armenia on the State Budget of the Republic of Armenia for 2023)

Ongoing Projects

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Community News

Kapan Community Day celebrated with great pomp

Goris celebrated City Day

The Hungarian city of Szekesfehervar and the community of Vagharshapat became sister cities

The "Vanadzor Mayor's Cup" open swimming championship was held

International Youth Day was celebrated in the Artashat community

Gyumri Central Library replenished with 500 new books

A large-scale cultural program will be held in Abovyan as part of the annual "Fresco" International Festival.

A meeting of the Gavar community council was held

Jermuk community a favorite vacation spot for tourists

Knowledge Day in Ijevan community

A new cultural breath in Stepanavan

Aparan and Kaspichan communities signed a memorandum of cooperation and friendly relations

Delegations from the sister cities of Artashat participated in the celebration dedicated to the city's 2214th anniversary.

Yerevan and Naples signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation

Results of the cooperation between the kapan-Saint-Etien sister cities, this time in the field of healthcare

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan spoke at the National Assembly about the analysis of fiscal decentralization gaps

A new park has opened in the Keti settlement of Akhuryan community

Meghri celebrated the city's day

Berd community honors those dedicated to the development of the local self-government system

International Student Solidarity Day celebrated in Masis

New prospects for cooperation between the communities of Rustavi and Ijevan

Young people explore the field of local government

At the invitation of Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, a delegation led by the Mayor of Rostov-on-Don is currently in Yerevan

Yerevan and Riga develop cooperation

Ani and Novi Pazar - sister cities

The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected head of Vagharshapat community took place

The official delegation of the Arkhangelsk region was in the Jermuk community.

French Cultural Center to open in Kajaran, Syunik․

Aparan is preparing to welcome the New Year

Head of Yeghegnadzor community David Harutyunyan is the laureate of the "Quality Mark-2025" award

Mayor of the Ashtarak city met with the community's active youth

New Year's surprise for the children of Masis

Issues related to the implementation of subsidy programs and preparing the community for the New Year were discussed at the Byureghavan municipality

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece Christos Sofianopoulos visited the Noyemberyan community

The lights of the main Christmas tree of the Artik community were lit

Kindergartens in Tatev community are preparing for the New Year

A blessing ceremony for new recruits took place at the Noravank Monastery in Areni community.

The New Year mood has begun in the Armavir community

Community leader Aharon Khachatryan prepared a New Year's gift for the children of the Vardenis community.

An open public discussion was organized on the 2025-2030 strategic plan for the development of the Parakar community

The head of the Amasia community was awarded the National Rating Commemorative Medal

Spitak Community Leader Kajayr Nikoghosyan Recognized as a Skilled Administrator

The Talin community's New Year's Eve celebration was magical.

New Year celebration announced in Sevan community

A New Year festive program was organized for children at the initiative of the Mayor of Yerevan and the head of the administrative district.

The Kapan community is concluding 2025 by delivering 16 new playgrounds to its residents.

New Year's miracle in the border settlements of Goris: about 300 children received the gift of their dreams

Sisian community has new trash cans: initiative of community leader Hovsep Arakelyan

2025 was a year of sporting victories and cultural development for the Nairi community

Ahead of the New Year, Abovyan honored the memory of the homeland's devoted heroes

The head of Stepanavan community congratulated the community's night shift service employees on the New Year

The first military conscription of 2026 was held in the Martuni community of Gegharkunik region

The head of Parakar Municipality received the monitoring delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

The Executive Director of the Union of Communities of Armenia met with the Head of the Urban Planning, Technical and Fire Safety Inspection Body.

Main Events

Public discussion on gaps in secondary legislation on local self-government

24-03-2026

The Yerevan Office of the Council of Europe is pleased to invite you to the 18th meeting of the Community Consultation Initiative, which will be held in a hybrid format on Thursday, 26 March 2026, from 14:30 to 16:30.

The meeting is organised within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Local Governance in Armenia”.

Decentralisation Pilot Initiative in the Education Sector

16-02-2026 - 16-02-2026

On February 13, an introductory meeting on the decentralisation of education was launched with representatives of pilot communities and schools, to be implemented within the framework of the SALAR International project “Support to Decentralization and Local Self-Government Reforms in Armenia” (DeaLoG).

Gaps in fiscal decentralisation analysis discussed with National Assembly deputies

15-10-2025 - 15-10-2025

On October 15, the Armenian team of SALAR International organized a meeting with the Standing Committee on Financial, Credit and Budgetary Issues of the National Assembly at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Yerevan. The discussion concerned the analysis of fiscal decentralization gaps, which was carried out by international experts Elton Staffan and Kelmend Zayazi within the framework of the “Support to Decentralization and Local Government in Armenia” (DeaLog) project.

A gathering was held in Stockholm to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Salar International

25-08-2025 - 30-08-2025

From August 25 to 30, the leadership of the Salar International Armenian team was on a working visit to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The “Support to Decentralisation and Local Government Reforms in Armenia” (DeaLoG) project participated in the events dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Salar International organization.

Public discussion

26-03-2026

Articles

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the opening of a newly built educational complex in the Keti settlement of Akhuryan community

The education decentralisation pilot initiative was presented to the Deputy Head of Tatev Municipality and the staff of the secondary school.

Armen Harutyunyan was hosted at the Armenian office of the German Agency for International Cooperation.

The sectoral training cours for community servants have been completed at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia.

Delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to conduct monitoring visit to Armenia

Alexis de Tocqueville

French aristocrat, diplomat, political philosopher and historian

The strength of a free people is in the local assemblies. Municipal institutions are as essential to liberty as schools are to knowledge: they make it accessible to the people and teach them to use and enjoy it. A nation may establish a free government, but without the spirit of municipal institutions it cannot have the spirit of liberty.