Statistical information Georgia 2023

Georgia in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: 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
Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map reference:
AsiaAreaTotal: 69,700 km²
Land: 69,700 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: approximately 12,560 km², 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
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundariesTotal: 1,814 km
Border countries: (4) Armenia 219 km;
Azerbaijan 428 km;
Russia 894 km;
Turkey 273 kmCoastline: 310 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
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
ElevationHighest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,193 m
Lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 1,432 m
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
Land useAgricultural land: 35.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 5.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 1.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)
Forest: 39.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 25.1% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,330 km² (2012)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalMunicipal: 610 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 340 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 710 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 63.33 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes
GeographyNote 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)
top of pagePopulationDistribution: 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: 4,936,390 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: -0.57% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 19.5% (2019 est.)
NationalityNoun: Georgian(s)
Adjective: Georgian
Ethnic groups: Georgian 86.8%, Azeri 6.3%, Armenian 4.5%, other 2.3% (includes Russian, Ossetian, Yazidi, Ukrainian, Kist, Greek) (2014 est.)
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 samples:მსოფლიო ფაქტების წიგნი, ძირითადი ინფორმაციის აუცილებელი წყარო. (Georgian)
Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Eastern Orthodox Christian (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic Christian 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Roman Catholic Christian, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant Christian, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est.)
Demographic profile: Analyzing population trends in Georgia since independence in 1991 has proven difficult due to a lack of reliable demographic statistics. Censuses were fairly accurately and regularly updated through a vital statistics system during Georgia’s period of Soviet rule, but from independence until about 2010, the system broke down as a result of institutional and economic change, social unrest, and large-scale outmigration. The 2002 census is believed to have significantly overestimated the size of Georgia’s population, in part because respondents continued to include relatives living abroad as part of their household count. The 2014 census indicates that Georgia’s population is decreasing and aging. Census data shows that the median age increased from 34.5 years in 2002 to 37.7 years in 2014. The working-age population (ages 15-65 years) was fairly high in 2002 and rose between 2005 and 2011. Nonetheless, Georgia did not reap economic benefits from this age structure, since the working-age population increase seems to have stimulated labor outmigration to Russia, Ukraine, and other neighboring countries.
Age structure0-14 years: 18.41% (male 468,459/female 440,195)
15-64 years: 63.65% (male 1,543,748/female 1,598,047)
65 years and over: 17.95% (2023 est.) (male 348,822/female 537,119)
Dependency ratiosTotal dependency ratio: 55.4
Youth dependency ratio: 32.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 22.6
Potential support ratio: 4.4 (2021 est.)
Median ageTotal: 38 years (2023 est.)
Male: 35.6 years
Female: 40.4 years
Population growth rate: -0.57% (2023 est.)
Birth rate: 12.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Death rate: 13.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 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
UrbanizationUrban population: 60.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.35% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Note: data include Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Major urban areasPopulation: 1.082 million TBILISI (capital) (2023)
EnvironmentCurrent 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
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
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutantsParticulate matter emissions: 19.06 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 10.13 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 6.05 megatons (2020 est.)
Sex ratioAt birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth: 25.9 years (2019 est.)
Note: data does not cover Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Maternal mortality ratio: 28 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rateTotal: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 20.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 72.3 years (2023 est.)
Male: 68.3 years
Female: 76.6 years
Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 40.6% (2018)
Drinking water sourceImproved urban: 99.4% of population
Improved rural: 94.3% of population
Improved total: 97.3% of population
Unimproved urban: 0.6% of population
Unimproved rural: 5.7% of population
Unimproved total: 2.7% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure: 7.6% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density: 5.11 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Sanitation facility accessImproved urban:96.3% of population
rural: 72.7% of population
total: 86.7% of population
Unimproved urban:3.7% of population
rural: 27.3% of population
total: 13.3% of population (2020 est.)
Hiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rate: 21.7% (2016)
Alcohol consumptionPer capita total: 7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 3.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco useTotal: 31.7% (2020 est.)
Male: 56.3% (2020 est.)
Female: 7.1% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.1% (2018)
Education expenditures: 3.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
LiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.6%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 99.5% (2019)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationTotal: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 16 years (2021)
Youth unemploymentRate ages 15 24 total: 28.3% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 27.4%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 29.9%
top of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Georgia
Local long form: none
Local short form: Sak'art'velo
Former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
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
Government type: semi-presidential republic
CapitalName: TbilisiGeographic coordinates: 41 41 N, 44 50 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name in Georgian means "warm place," referring to the numerous sulfuric hot springs in the area
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)
Dependent areasIndependence: 9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III)
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
ConstitutionHistory: previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995
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)
Legal system: civil law system
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
CitizenshipCitizenship 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Salome ZOURABICHVILI (since 16 December 2018)
Head of government: Prime Minister Irakli GARIBASHVILI (since 22 February 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
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
Election results:2018: 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
2013: Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI elected president (Georgian Dream) 62.1%, David BAKRADZE (ENM) 21.7%, Nino BURJANADZE (DM-UG) 10.2%, other 6%
Legislative branchDescription: unicameral Parliament or Sakartvelos Parlamenti (150 seats statutory, 140 (as of May 2023); 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)
Elections: last held on 31 October and 21 November 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)
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 117, women 27, percent of women 19.3%
Judicial branchHighest 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
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Patriots [Davit TARKHAN-MOURAVI]
Citizens Party [Aleko ELISASHVILI]
Democratic Movement-United Georgia or DM-UC [Nino BURJANADZE]
European Georgia-Movement for Liberty [Giga BOKERIA]
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 [Levan KHABEISHVILI]
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
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador David ZALKALIANI (since 7 June 2022)
In the us chancery: 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-2,390
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-0864
In the us email address and website:From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robin DUNNIGAN (since 12 October 2023)
From the us embassy: 29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi, 0131
From the us mailing address: 7,060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20,521-7,060
From the us telephone: [995] (32) 227-70-00
From the us FAX: [995] (32) 253-23-10
From the us email address and website:askconsultbilisi@state.gov
[link] 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
National symbols: Saint George, lion; national colors: red, white
National anthemName: "Tavisupleba" (Liberty)
Lyrics/music: Davit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE)
Note: adopted 2004; after the Rose Revolution, a new anthem with music based on the operas "Abesalom da Eteri" and "Daisi" was adopted
National heritageTotal World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:top of pageEconomy overview: COVID-19 crippled tourism, transportation, and construction sectors; rising unemployment, public debts and poverty; foreign investment and domestic bond issuance
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$57.434 billion (2021 est.)
$51.993 billion (2020 est.)
$55.762 billion (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp growth rate:
10.47% (2021 est.)
-6.76% (2020 est.)
4.98% (2019 est.)
Real gdp per capita:
$15,500 (2021 est.)
$14,000 (2020 est.)
$15,000 (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useHousehold consumption: 62.8% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 17.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 29.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 50.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -62.2% (2017 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 8.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 23.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 67.9% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: milk, grapes, maize, potatoes, wheat, watermelons, tomatoes, tangerines/mandarins, barley, apples
Industries: steel, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese, copper, gold), chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2021 est.)
Labor force: 1.724 million (2021 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10.66% (2021 est.)
18.5% (2020 est.)
11.57% (2019 est.)
Youth unemploymentRate ages 15 24 total: 28.3% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 27.4%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 29.9%
Population below poverty line: 19.5% (2019 est.)
Gini indexCoefficient distribution of family income: 34.5 (2020 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage shareLowest 10%: 2%
Highest 10%: 31.3% (2008)
Distribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $4.737 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $5.059 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 21.41% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Public debt:
65.88% of GDP (2020 est.)
45.15% of GDP (2019 est.)
38.89% of GDP (2018 est.)
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
RevenueFrom forest resources: 0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices:
9.57% (2021 est.)
5.2% (2020 est.)
4.85% (2019 est.)
Central bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balance:
-$1.937 billion (2021 est.)
-$1.981 billion (2020 est.)
-$1.025 billion (2019 est.)
Exports:
$8.086 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$5.927 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$9.546 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: Russia 12%, Azerbaijan 12%, Armenia 9%, Bulgaria 8%, China 6%, Turkey 6%, Ukraine 6% (2019)
Commodities: copper, iron alloys, cars, wine, refined petroleum, nitrogen fertilizers, liquors (2021)
Imports:
$11.151 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$8.967 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$11.162 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: Turkey 17%, China 11%, Russia 9%, Azerbaijan 6%, United States 6%, Germany 5% (2019)
Commodities: cars, refined petroleum, copper, packaged medicines, natural gas (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.271 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$3.913 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$3.506 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
Debt external:
$18.149 billion (2019 est.)
$17.608 billion (2018 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates:
laris (GEL) per US dollar - 3.222 (2021 est.)
3.109 (2020 est.)
2.818 (2019 est.)
2.534 (2018 est.)
2.51 (2017 est.)
top of pageElectricityAccess electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 4.579 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 12,062,080,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 256 million kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 1.712 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 918.2 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 25.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 73.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
CoalProduction: 99,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 362,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 277,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 201 million metric tons (2019 est.)
PetroleumTotal petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 32,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 35 million barrels (2021 est.)
Crude oilRefined petroleumProducts production: 247 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 2,052 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 28,490 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gasProduction: 6.088 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Consumption: 2.54 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 2.535 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 8.495 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 10.299 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1.063 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.245 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 4.992 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 63.286 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
top of pageTelephonesFixed lines total subscriptions: 301,117 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 5,163,558 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 137 (2021 est.)
Telephone systemBroadcast 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)
InternetCountry code: .ge
Users total: 2.888 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 76% (2021 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptionsTotal: 986,809 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2021 est.)
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2019)
1.9% of GDP (2018)
Military and security forces: Defense Forces of Georgia (DFG; aka Georgian Defense Forces or GDF): Ground Forces, Air Force, National Guard, 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) (2023)
Note: the Ministry of Internal Affairs also has forces for protecting strategic infrastructure and conducting special operations
Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription was abolished in 2016, but reinstated in 2017 for men 18-27 years of age; conscript service obligation is 12 months (2023)
Note 1: approximately 6-7,000 individuals are called up annually for conscription for service; approximately 25% enter the Defense Forces, while the remainder serve in the Ministry of Internal Affairs or as prison guards in the Ministry of Corrections
Note 2: as of 2022, women made up about 8% of the military's full-time personnel
Space programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemNumber of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 516,034 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 750,000 (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 4L
Airports: 22 (2021)
With paved runways: 18
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 4
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports: 2 (2021)
Pipelines: 1,596 km gas, 1,175 km oil (2013)
RailwaysTotal: 1,363 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 37 km (2014) 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified)
Broad gauge: 1,326 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (1,251 km electrified)
RoadwaysTotal: 20,295 km (2018)
WaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 24 (2022)
By type: general cargo 3, other 21
Ports and terminalsMajor seaports: Black Sea - Batumi, Poti
Georgia - Transnational issues 2023
top of pageDisputes international: Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia; Russia maintains military bases and troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Refugees and internally displaced personsRefugees country of origin: 27,000 (Ukraine) (as of 4 October 2023)
IDPs: 308,000 (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) (2022)
Stateless persons: 530 (2022)
Illicit drugs: a transit country for opiates produced in Asia trafficked into Ukraine or Moldova via the Black Sea for other European destinations; not a major corridor for synthetic drug smuggling operations; domestic synthetic market for ecstasy/MDMA, amphetamines, and cannabis with ecstasy laced with fentanyl the drug of choice