ILO publishes Working Poverty Index - Georgia hits historic low

The International Labour Organisation released the Working Poverty Index, marking a new historic low for Georgia.

The Index measures the proportion of employed individuals living below the international poverty line.

According to ILO estimates, in 2024, the percentage of employed persons in Georgia living below the international poverty threshold dropped to a historic low of 1.7%.

The data reveals that over the past two years, working poverty in the country has halved, and compared to 2012, it has decreased nearly fivefold (4.7 times).

The organisation published figures spanning from 2000 to 2024, showing that a significant reduction in working poverty in Georgia began in 2012. Between 2000 and 2003, an average of 11% of employed individuals were below the international poverty line.

The situation remained largely unchanged from 2004 to 2012, with around 10% of the workforce - approximately one in ten workers - classified as living in working poverty.

A substantial shift occurred between 2013 and 2024, when the working poverty rate in Georgia averaged 3.3%, meaning only one in thirty workers lived below the poverty threshold.

The latest data for 2024 indicates a further improvement, with just 1.7% - or approximately one in 59 employed individuals - living below the international poverty line, marking a new record low for the country.