2021 Edition

Background

The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate parliamentary elections in November 2003, touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the "Rose Revolution," new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. SAAKASHVILI made progress on market reforms and good governance during his time in power, but also faced accusations of abuse of office. Progress was also complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that led to periodic flare-ups in tension and violence and that  culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions. Billionaire Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI became president in November 2013, ending a tense year of power-sharing between SAAKASHVILI and IVANISHVILI and SAAKASHVILI then left the country. At the time, these changes in leadership represented unique examples of a former Soviet state that emerged to conduct democratic and peaceful government transitions of power. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and in the following years, the prime minister position has seen frequent turn over. Most recently, Irakli GARIBASHVILI became prime minister in February 2021, replacing Giorgi GAKHARIA, who later in the year formed his own opposition party. In October 2021, SAAKASHVILI returned to Georgia, where he was immediately arrested to serve six years in prison on outstanding abuse of office convictions. Popular and government support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals.

Area

land

69,700 sq km

note

note: approximately 12,560 sq km, or about 18% of Georgia's area, is Russian occupied; the seized area includes all of Abkhazia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti

total

69,700 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia

Climate

warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

Coastline

310 km

Elevation

highest point

Mt'a Shkhara 5,193 m

lowest point

Black Sea 0 m

mean elevation

1,432 m

Geographic coordinates

42 00 N, 43 30 E

Geography - note

note 1: strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them note 2: the world's four deepest caves are all in Georgia, including two that are the only known caves on earth deeper than 2,000 m: Krubera Cave at -2,197 m (-7,208 ft; reached in 2012) and Veryovkina Cave at -2,212 (-7,257 ft; reached in 2018)

Irrigated land

4,330 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Armenia 219 km, Azerbaijan 428 km, Russia 894 km, Turkey 273 km

total

1,814 km

Land use

agricultural land

35.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)

forest

39.4% (2018 est.)

other

25.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

Population distribution

settlement concentrated in the central valley, particularly in the capital city of Tbilisi in the east; smaller urban agglomerations dot the Black Sea coast, with Bat'umi being the largest

Terrain

largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; fertile soils in river valley flood plains and foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Age structure

0-14 years

18.42% (male 472,731/female 435,174)

15-24 years

10.9% (male 286,518/female 250,882)

25-54 years

40.59% (male 984,942/female 1,016,353)

55-64 years

13.24% (male 288,650/female 364,117)

65 years and over

16.85% (male 326,219/female 504,444) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

11.26 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.1% (2018)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

40.6% (2018)

Current Health Expenditure

7.1% (2018)

Death rate

10.84 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

23.6

potential support ratio

4.2 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

55

youth dependency ratio

31.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.2% of population

improved: total

total: 98.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.6% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2020)

Ethnic groups

Georgian 86.8%, Azeri 6.3%, Armenian 4.5%, other 2.3% (includes Russian, Ossetian, Yazidi, Ukrainian, Kist, Greek) (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,100 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

17.26 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Georgian (official) 87.6%, Azeri 6.2%, Armenian 3.9%, Russian 1.2%, other 1%; note - Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia (2014 est.)

major-language sample(s)

მსოფლიო ფაქტების წიგნი, ძირითადი ინფორმაციის აუცილებელი წყარო. (Georgian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.52 years (2021 est.)

male

73.18 years

total population

77.25 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.5% (2019)

male

99.7%

total population

99.6%

Major urban areas - population

1.079 million TBILISI (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

25 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

41.4 years (2020 est.)

male

35.9 years

total

38.6 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

25.9 years (2019 est.)

note

note: data do not cover Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Nationality

adjective

Georgian

noun

Georgian(s)

Net migration rate

0.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.7% (2016)

Physicians density

7.12 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

4,933,674 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

settlement concentrated in the central valley, particularly in the capital city of Tbilisi in the east; smaller urban agglomerations dot the Black Sea coast, with Bat'umi being the largest

Population growth rate

0.05% (2021 est.)

Religions

Orthodox (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 82.7% of population

improved: total

total: 91.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 17.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 8.9% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2020)

male

15 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.09 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.14 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.79 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.65 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.92 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.75 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

38.3% (2020 est.)

male

40.1%

total

39.4%

Urbanization

note

note: data include Abkhazia and South Ossetia

rate of urbanization

0.35% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.9% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika) regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli; note - the breakaway region of South Ossetia consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti city: Tbilisi autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)

note

note 1: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses note 2: the United States recognizes the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be part of Georgia

Capital

etymology

the name in Georgian means "warm place," referring to the numerous sulfuric hot springs in the area

geographic coordinates

41 41 N, 44 50 E

name

Tbilisi

time difference

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Georgia

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed as a draft law supported by more than one half of the Parliament membership or by petition of at least 200,000 voters; passage requires support by at least three fourths of the Parliament membership in two successive sessions three months apart and the signature and promulgation by the president of Georgia; amended several times, last in 2020 (legislative electoral system revised)

history

previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Georgia

etymology

the Western name may derive from the Persian designation "gurgan" meaning "Land of the Wolves"; the native name "Sak'art'velo" means "Land of the Kartvelians" and refers to the core central Georgian region of Kartli

former

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

none

local short form

Sak'art'velo

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Kelly C. DEGNAN (since 31 January 2020)

email address and website

askconsultbilisi@state.govhttps://ge.usembassy.gov/

embassy

11 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi, 0131

FAX

[995] (32) 253-23-10

mailing address

7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC  20521-7060

telephone

[995] (32) 227-70-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador David BAKRADZE (since 18 January 2017)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

embgeo.usa@mfa.gov.gehttps://georgiaembassyusa.org/contact/

FAX

[1] (202) 387-0864

telephone

[1] (202) 387-2390

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers

chief of state

President Salome ZOURABICHVILI (since 16 December 2018)

election results

Salome ZOURABICHVILI elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Salome ZOURABICHVILI (independent, backed by Georgian Dream) 59.5%, Grigol VASHADZE (UNM) 40.5%; Irakli GARIBASHVILI approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 89-2

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2018 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by Parliament, appointed by the president note - 2017 constitutional amendments made the 2018 election the last where the president was directly elected; future presidents will be elected by a 300-member College of Electors; in light of these changes, ZOURABICHVILI was allowed a six-year term

head of government

Prime Minister Irakli GARIBASHVILI (since 22 February 2021)

Flag description

white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag; although adopted as the official Georgian flag in 2004, the five-cross design is based on a 14th century banner of the Kingdom of Georgia

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CPLP (associate), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges organized into several specialized judicial chambers; number of judges determined by the president of Georgia); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); note - the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the High Council of Justice (a 14-member body consisting of the Supreme Court chairperson, common court judges, and appointees of the president of Georgia) and appointed by Parliament; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed 3 each by the president, by Parliament, and by the Supreme Court judges; judges appointed for 10-year terms

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament or Sakartvelos Parlamenti (150 seats; 120 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote and 30 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by at least 50% majority vote, with a runoff if needed; no party earning less than 40% of total votes may claim a majority; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 48.2%, UNM 27.2%, European Georgia 3.8%, Lelo 3.2%, Strategy 3.2%, Alliance of Patriots 3.1%, Girchi 2.9%, Citizens 1.3%, Labor 1%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 90, UNM 36, European Georgia 5, Lelo 4, Strategy 4, Alliance of Patriots 4, Girchi 4, Citizens 2, Labor 1; composition (as of October 2021) - men 121, women 29, percent of women 19.3%

elections

last held on 31 October and 21 November 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Davit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE)

name

"Tavisupleba" (Liberty)

note

note: adopted 2004; after the Rose Revolution, a new anthem with music based on the operas "Abesalom da Eteri" and "Daisi" was adopted

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

National symbol(s)

Saint George, lion; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of Patriots [Irma INASHVILI]Citizens Party [Aleko ELISASHVILI]European Georgia-Movement for Liberty [Davit BAKRADZE]European Socialists [Fridon INJIA]For Georgia [Giorgi GAKHARIA]Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Irakli KOBAKHIDZE]Girchi-More Freedom [Zurab JAPARIDZE]Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]Lelo for Georgia [Mamuka KHAZARADZE]New Political Centre-Girchi [Iago KHVICHIA]Republican Party [Khatuna SAMNIDZE]Strategy Aghmashenebeli [Giorgi VASHADZE]United National Movement or UNM [Nikanor "Nika" MELIA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, grapes, maize, potatoes, wheat, watermelons, tomatoes, tangerines/mandarins, barley, apples

Budget

expenditures

4.925 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

4.352 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB (2019)

Moody's rating

Ba2 (2017)

Standard & Poors rating

BB (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$1.84 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1.348 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$17.608 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$18.149 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Georgia's main economic activities include cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese, copper, and gold; and producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals in small-scale industries. The country imports nearly all of its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity that now provides most of its electricity needs.Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages and gas supply interruptions of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by increasingly relying on natural gas imports from Azerbaijan instead of from Russia. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the South Caucasus gas pipeline, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad are part of a strategy to capitalize on Georgia's strategic location between Europe and Asia and develop its role as a transit hub for gas, oil, and other goods.Georgia's economy sustained GDP growth of more than 10% in 2006-07, based on strong inflows of foreign investment, remittances, and robust government spending. However, GDP growth slowed following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and sank to negative 4% in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. The economy rebounded in the period 2010-17, but FDI inflows, the engine of Georgian economic growth prior to the 2008 conflict, have not recovered fully. Unemployment remains persistently high.The country is pinning its hopes for faster growth on a continued effort to build up infrastructure, enhance support for entrepreneurship, simplify regulations, and improve professional education, in order to attract foreign investment and boost employment, with a focus on transportation projects, tourism, hydropower, and agriculture. Georgia had historically suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, since 2004 the government has simplified the tax code, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on petty corruption, leading to higher revenues. The government has received high marks from the World Bank for improvements in business transparency. Since 2012, the Georgian Dream-led government has continued the previous administration's low-regulation, low-tax, free market policies, while modestly increasing social spending and amending the labor code to comply with International Labor Standards. In mid-2014, Georgia concluded an association agreement with the EU, paving the way to free trade and visa-free travel. In 2017, Georgia signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China as part of Tbilisi’s efforts to diversify its economic ties. Georgia is seeking to develop its Black Sea ports to further facilitate East-West trade.

Exchange rates

currency

laris (GEL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1.7657 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

2.2694 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

2.3668 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

2.3668 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

2.535 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$8.9 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$9.54 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$5.94 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

copper, cars, iron alloys, wine, packaged medicines (2019)

Exports - partners

Russia 12%, Azerbaijan 12%, Armenia 9%, Bulgaria 8%, China 6%, Turkey 6%, Ukraine 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

50.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

17.1% (2017 est.)

household consumption

62.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-62.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

29.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

2.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

8.2% (2017 est.)

industry

23.7% (2017 est.)

services

67.9% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.694 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

46 (2011)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

36.4 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.3% (2008)

lowest 10%

2%

Imports

Imports 2018

$10.77 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$11.11 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$8.94 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, copper, packaged medicines, natural gas (2019)

Imports - partners

Turkey 17%, China 11%, Russia 9%, Azerbaijan 6%, United States 6%, Germany 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

6.7% (2017 est.)

Industries

steel, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese, copper, gold), chemicals, wood products, wine

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2.6% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.8% (2019 est.)

Labor force

686,000 (2019 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

55.6%

industry

8.9%

services

35.5% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

19.5% (2019 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities; Georgia does not maintain intragovernmental debt or social funds

Public debt 2016

44.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

44.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$53.12 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$55.76 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$52.33 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.9% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

2.8% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

5% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$14,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$15,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$14,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$2.756 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$3.039 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

11.8% (2016 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

38.3% (2020 est.)

male

40.1%

total

39.4%

Crude oil - exports

3,006 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

2,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

35 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

12.37 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

560 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

65% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

1.329 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

4.641 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

13.24 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

2.294 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

2.294 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

7.363 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

2,052 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

28,490 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

247 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25.01 (2020 est.)

total

997,785 (2020)

Broadcast media

The Tbilisi-based Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) includes Channel 1, Channel 2, and the Batumi-based Adjara TV, and the State Budget funds all three; there are also a number of independent commercial television broadcasters, such as Imedi, Rustavi 2, Pirveli TV, Maestro, Kavkasia, Georgian Dream Studios (GDS), Obiektivi, Mtavari Arkhi, and a small Russian language operator TOK TV; Tabula and Post TV are web-based television outlets; all of these broadcasters and web-based television outlets, except GDS, carry the news; the Georgian Orthodox Church also operates a satellite-based television station called Unanimity; there are 26 regional television broadcasters across Georgia that are members of the Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters and/or the Alliance of Georgian Broadcasters; the broadcaster organizations seek to strengthen the regional media's capacities and distribution of regional products: a nationwide digital switchover occurred in 2015; there are several dozen private radio stations; GPB operates 2 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.ge

Internet users

percent of population

72.53% (2020 est.)

total

2.74 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 13 per 100, cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 135 per 100 persons; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi (2019)

general assessment

despite economic challenges, the telecom market is one of Georgia's fastest growth sectors; LTE services cover the majority of citizens; regulators have strategy to introduce 5G; fixed-line telecommunications network has limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership throughout the country; broadband subscribers steadily increasing; with investment in infrastructure, customers are moving from copper to fiber networks (2020)

international

country code - 995; landing points for the Georgia-Russia, Diamond Link Global, and Caucasus Cable System fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Russia, Romania and Bulgaria; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9.49 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

378,498 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

127.9 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

5,100,101 (2020)

Airports

total

22 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

5

over 3,047 m

1

total

18

under 914 m

2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

2

total

4

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

4L

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 2, general cargo 3, other 20 (2021)

total

25

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

750,000 mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

516,034 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

12

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

1596 km gas, 1175 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Black Sea - Bat'umi, P'ot'i

Railways

broad gauge

1,326 km 1.520-m gauge (1,251 km electrified) (2014)

narrow gauge

37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified) (2014)

total

1,363 km (2014)

Roadways

total

20,295 km (2018)

Military - note

as of 2021, Georgia did not have any military stationed in the separatist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but approximately 7-10,000 Russian troops have been stationed in these regions since the 2008 Russia-Georgia War

Military and security forces

Georgian Defense Forces: Land Forces (includes Aviation and Air Defense Forces), Special Operations Forces, National Guard; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Border Police, Coast Guard (includes Georgian naval forces, which were merged with the Coast Guard in 2009) (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 25,000 troops, including active National Guard forces (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Georgian Defense Forces are equipped mostly with older Russian and Soviet-era weapons; since 2010, it has received limited quantities of equipment from European countries and the US (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

2.2% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

2.1% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.1% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.3% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

conscription abolished in 2016, but reinstated in 2017; 18 to 27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months (2021)

Disputes - international

Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia

Illicit drugs

located on a major drug trafficking route where Southwest Asian opium, heroin and precursor chemicals are transported; marijuana trafficking increased

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

304,000 (displaced in the 1990s as a result of armed conflict in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; displaced in 2008 by fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) (2019)

stateless persons

531 (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

10.13 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

6.05 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

21.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

Environment - current issues

air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy water pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals; land and forest degradation; biodiversity loss; waste management

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

35.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)

forest

39.4% (2018 est.)

other

25.1% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

63.33 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1,060,819,084.4 cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

402,206,287.9 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

359,974,627.7 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

note

note: data include Abkhazia and South Ossetia

rate of urbanization

0.35% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.9% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

800,000 tons (2015 est.)