Rafiga Akhundova was born in Baku.

She studied at the Baku Choreographic School (1951). She completed a refresher course at the Bolshoi Theater (1951-1952, Moscow).

She was a soloist of the Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet Theater (1951-1971), ballet master (1971-1990), and chief ballet master. Together with her husband Magsud Mammadov, she staged ballets at this theater, as well as at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. She worked as a teacher-ballet master in Algeria, Sweden, Egypt, and Belgium. Honored Artist (1958), People's Artist (1970), laureate of the Order of "Glory" (2021) Rafiga Akhundova died in 2024 and was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.

Choreographer Rafiga Akhundova is the wife of choreographer Magsud Mammadov.