Georgian PM: poverty in Georgia cut in half over four years

More than 1.1 million people were living below the poverty line in Georgia in 2012, when the country’s poverty rate stood at 30%, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said during an interpellation speech in Parliament.

Responding to a question about the country’s social situation, Kobakhidze stated that by 2020 the poverty rate had already decreased to around 21%, reaching 21.3% that year. He added that from 2020 through 2024, the poverty rate further dropped to 9.4%.

“As for the social situation in the country, it was said that if I am not mistaken, 70 thousand receive a salary of less than ₾600 ($224.8) and it was said that 708 thousand live below the poverty line, and 190 thousand of them are children under 18. Here I would like to clarify the data regarding the poverty rate. First of all, it should be said where we started in 2012. The situation was the worst, more than 1 million 100 thousand people lived below the poverty line in Georgia. The poverty rate in Georgia was 30 percent, which by 2020 had already been reduced to approximately 21 percent, 21.3 percent was the poverty rate in 2020, and since then, including 2024, the poverty rate has decreased to 9.4 percent”, Kobakhidze said.

Kobakhidze further added that in four-year data, the Government managed to halve poverty in the country, which was the result of rapid economic growth.

“In Georgia, more than 1 million 100 thousand people lived below the poverty line, and this figure decreased to 350 thousand under our Government. The last few years have been particularly outstanding in this regard. The exact data for 2025 has not yet been published, but according to four-year data, we managed to halve poverty in our country. This was the result of rapid economic growth. The average growth rate over the last five years was 9.3 percent. We are a leader in this regard on the European continent and in the region as a whole, and this has reduced poverty in Georgia. More than 1 million 100 thousand people were below the poverty line, and there are 350 thousand people”, he continued.

Kobakhidze highlighted that 708 thousand people were receiving social assistance and this did not mean that all of these people were below the poverty line.

“There are statistics calculated using international methodology, the World Bank methodology, according to which 350 thousand people live below the poverty line in Georgia”, he concluded.