Georgian PM says migration rate “more severe” during former Government
The head of the Government said development of the country’s economy was the “main priority” for approaching EU member states in living standards, and noted the Government would need to use the “next few years” to close the gap. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday claimed the rate of emigration of citizens from the country had been “much more severe” during the former United National Movement Government, in comments on recent data of the country’s National Statistics Office that said the number of emigrants had increased by 95.6 percent in 2023.
In comments on the figures released on Friday, Kobakhidze said demography was “one of the main challenges” facing the country and noted the country had “negative” statistics both in birth rates and emigration.
[T]here are essentially two reasons for emigration. First, there is still a large economic gap between Georgia and the European Union and European countries. Second, the borders are open, it is easy to leave the country and go to EU countries”, he said.
The PM also said the country was “three times behind” Germany in living standards, and added the figure had been estimated at 4.5 times in 2012, during the UNM rule, while emigration indicators were “twice as bad” when the country’s borders were closed.
The head of the Government said development of the country’s economy was the “main priority” for approaching EU member states in living standards, and noted the Government would need to use the “next few years” to close the gap.
The number of Georgian citizens staying abroad decreased in 2023 by 27,950 people, marking a 62.1 percent reduction from the previous year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Tuesday in latest data on border crossings.
Georgia’s population increased by 1.3 percent compared to 2021 and reached 3,736,400 people as of January 1, 2023 the National Statistics Office of Georgia said on Thursday in its latest update.
The head of the Georgian government administration Revaz Javelidze, and representatives of the country’s national statistics office on Wednesday discussed questions for the country’s 2024 census with the domestic office of the United Nations Population Fund and its officials.
The Georgian Government on Tuesday announced it would set up a working group composed of deputy ministers that would draft amendments in the “shortest terms possible” to improve current demographic trends in the country.
The Council for Demographic Issues of Georgia met on Thursday to review challenges and opportunities in employment, healthcare, migration and education in a bid to develop plans for improving demographic trends in the country.
Gogita Todradze, the Head of the National Statistics Office of Georgia, on Friday said the next national census would be held later this year, with information about demographic composition and socio-economic factors of the population to be collected using “absolutely modern technology”.