Economics & Development

The national poverty headcount ratio has been declining consistently since 2011, with the exception of a notable rise during the pandemic. Between 2022 and 2023, the poverty headcount dropped by almost 4 percentage points to 11.8% of the population, reflecting robust economic growth and improvements at the labor market. Despite the overall decline, regional disparities in poverty rates remain pronounced. While the poverty rate is higher in rural areas (15.6%) compared to urban areas (9.4%), urban areas host more people in poverty due to their larger populations. Tbilisi, the capital city, has the largest concentration of the poor (22% of poor people), followed by Kvemo Kartli (16%) and Imereti (11%). However, rural poverty is more acute and unequal, with Guria being the most impoverished region, exhibiting a poverty rate of 32.2%.