The region of present-day Georgia once contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis (known as Egrisi locally) and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Persian, Arab, and Turk domination was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short when the Mongols invaded in 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.
In 2003, mounting public discontent over rampant corruption, ineffective government services, and a government attempt to manipulate parliamentary elections touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, who had been president since 1995. In the aftermath of this “Rose Revolution,” new elections in 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI and his United National Movement (UNM) party into power. SAAKASHVILI made progress on market reforms and governance, but he faced accusations of abuse of office. Progress was further complicated when Russian support for the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia led to a five-day conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, which included Russia invading large portions of Georgian territory. Russia initially pledged to pull back from most Georgian territory but then unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces have remained in those regions.
Billionaire Bidzina IVANISHVILI’s unexpected entry into politics in 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and left the country after his presidential term ended in 2013. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and in the years since, the prime minister position has seen frequent turnover. In 2021, SAAKASHVILI returned to Georgia, where he was immediately arrested to serve six years in prison on outstanding abuse-of-office convictions.
Popular support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country’s top foreign policy goals, and Georgia applied for EU membership in 2022, becoming a candidate country in December 2023. Georgia and the EU have a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, and since 2017, Georgian citizens have been able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and Notes
Geography
Location
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 references
Asia
Area
total : 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: approximately 12,560 sq km, 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
comparison ranking: total 121
Area – comparative
slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries
total: 1,814 km
border countries (4): Armenia 219 km; Azerbaijan 428 km; Russia 894 km; Turkey 273 km
Coastline
310 km
Maritime claims
territorial 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
Elevation
highest 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 use
agricultural land: 34.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 4.5% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 1.8% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 27.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 40.6% (2022 est.)
other: 25.1% (2022 est.)
Irrigated land
4,330 sq km (2012)
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
Natural hazards
earthquakes
Geography – note
note 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)
People and Society
Population
total: 4,900,961 (2024 est.)
male: 2,343,068
female: 2,557,893
comparison rankings: total 126; female 126; male 126
Nationality
noun: 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% (including Abkhaz, the official language in Abkhazia) (2014 est.)
major-language sample(s):
მსოფლიო ფაქტების წიგნი, ძირითადი ინფორმაციის აუცილებელი წყარო. (Georgian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Georgian audio sample:
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.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 20.6% (male 520,091/female 489,882)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 1,500,036/female 1,572,637)
65 years and over: 16.7% (2024 est.) (male 322,941/female 495,374)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 59.5 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 32.9 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 26.6 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.8 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 38.3 years (2024 est.)
male: 35.9 years
female: 40.6 years
comparison ranking: total 75
Population growth rate
-0.5% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 222
Birth rate
12 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 148
Death rate
13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 11
Net migration rate
-3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 193
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
Urbanization
urban 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 areas – population
1.082 million TBILISI (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother’s 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.)
comparison ranking: 114
Infant mortality rate
total: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 23.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.7 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 72
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 68.7 years
female: 77.2 years
comparison ranking: total population 158
Total fertility rate
1.95 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 112
Gross reproduction rate
0.94 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
40.6% (2018)
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 99.4% of population
rural: 94.3% of population
total: 97.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0.6% of population
rural: 5.7% of population
total: 2.7% of population (2020 est.)
Health expenditure
7.4% of GDP (2022)
10.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
5.64 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density
4.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
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.)
Obesity – adult prevalence rate
21.7% (2016)
comparison ranking: 85
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 3.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 53
Tobacco use
total: 28.7% (2025 est.)
male: 53.9% (2025 est.)
female: 7.5% (2025 est.)
comparison ranking: total 27
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.1% (2018)
comparison ranking: 96
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
67.1% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 0.3% (2018)
women married by age 18: 13.9% (2018)
men married by age 18: 0.5% (2018)
Education expenditure
3.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
14.1% national budget (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 121
Literacy
total population: 99.6% (2023 est.)
male: 99.5% (2023 est.)
female: 99.6% (2023 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 16 years (2021)
Environment
Environment – current 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
Environment – 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Land use
agricultural land: 34.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 4.5% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 1.8% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 27.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 40.6% (2022 est.)
other: 25.1% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban 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
Air pollutants
particulate 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.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 800,000 tons (2015 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 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.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia
local long form: Republic of Georgia
local short form: Sak’art’velo
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology: the Western name probably derives from the name of the local people, the Gurz, whose name origin is uncertain; 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
Capital
name: Tbilisi
geographic coordinates: 41 41 N, 44 50 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name comes from the Georgian word tbili, meaning “warm” and referring to the hot sulfur springs in the area
Administrative divisions
9 regions (mkharebi, singular – mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular – avtom respublika)
regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli; note – the breakaway region of South Ossetia 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
city: Tbilisiautonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap’khazet’is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat’umi)
note 1: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses
note 2: the United States recognizes the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of Georgia
Legal system
civil law system
Constitution
history: previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995
amendment process: 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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship 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 branch
chief of state: President Mikheil KAVELASHVILI (since 29 December 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Irakli KOBAKHIDZE (since 8 February 2024)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
election/appointment process: president elected by a 300-member College of Electors; prime minister nominated by Parliament, appointed by the president
most recent election date: 14 December 2024
election results:
2024: Mikheil KAVELASHVILI (Georgian Dream Party) was formally inaugurated on 29 December 2024
2024: Irakli KOBAKHIDZE approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 84-10
2018: Salome ZOURABICHVILI elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round – 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
expected date of next election: 2029
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Sakartvelos Parlamenti)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 150 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 10/26/2024
parties elected and seats per party: Georgian Dream (89); Coalition for Changes (19); Unity – National Movement (16); Strong Georgia – Lelo, For people, For Liberty! (14); For Georgia (12)
percentage of women in chamber: 13.9%
expected date of next election: October 2028
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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)
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
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts
note: the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts
Political parties
Citizens
European Socialists
For Georgia
Georgian Dream
Girchi
Law and Justice
Lelo for Georgia
National Democratic Party
People’s Power
Progress and Freedom
Republican Party
State for the People
Strategy Aghmashenebeli
United National Movement or UNM
Victorious Georgia
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Tamar TALIASHVILI; Chargé d’Affaires Khatuna KVESELAVA (since 31 December 2024)
chancery: 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0864
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://georgiaembassyusa.org/contact/
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Robin L. DUNNIGAN (since 12 October 2023)
embassy: 29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi, 0131
mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060
telephone: [995] (32) 227-70-00
FAX: [995] (32) 253-23-10
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://ge.usembassy.gov/
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
Independence
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
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, the design is based on a 14th-century banner of the Kingdom of Georgia
National symbol(s)
Saint George, lion
National color(s)
red, white
National anthem
name: “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 heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Gelati Monastery (c); Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (c); Upper Svaneti (c); Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands (n)
Economy
Economic overview
upper-middle income, fast-growing South Caucasus economy; regionally focused exporter of cars, metal ores, and energy; financial and migrant inflows resulting from Ukraine conflict; EU accession talks suspended over disputed election and foreign influence law; low inflation but persistent high unemployment
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$83.935 billion (2023 est.)
$77.838 billion (2022 est.)
$70.151 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 103
Real GDP growth rate
7.83% (2023 est.)
10.96% (2022 est.)
10.64% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 14
Real GDP per capita
$22,600 (2023 est.)
$21,000 (2022 est.)
$18,900 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 93
GDP (official exchange rate)
$30.778 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.1% (2024 est.)
2.5% (2023 est.)
11.9% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 28
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 6% (2023 est.)
industry: 18.9% (2023 est.)
services: 62.1% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 78; industry 146; agriculture 106
GDP – composition, by end use
household consumption: 71.5% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 12.1% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.5% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: 3.5% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 49.3% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -57.9% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
milk, grapes, potatoes, maize, wheat, tangerines/mandarins, tomatoes, barley, apples, eggs (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
steel, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese, copper, gold), chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate
5.13% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 47
Labor force
1.854 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 129
Unemployment rate
11.5% (2024 est.)
11.5% (2023 est.)
11.6% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 170
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 29.9% (2024 est.)
male: 28.4% (2024 est.)
female: 32.4% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 24
Population below poverty line
15.6% (2022 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income
33.5 (2022 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 98
Average household expenditures
on food: 39% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.6% (2022 est.)
highest 10%: 25.2% (2022 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
13.65% of GDP (2023 est.)
15.42% of GDP (2022 est.)
14.02% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $6.712 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $6.23 billion (2022 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
43.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 124
Taxes and other revenues
23.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 56
Current account balance
-$1.709 billion (2023 est.)
-$1.105 billion (2022 est.)
-$1.943 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments – net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 151
Exports
$15.173 billion (2023 est.)
$13.24 billion (2022 est.)
$8.086 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments – exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 98
Exports – partners
Azerbaijan 13%, Turkey 11%, Armenia 11%, Russia 10%, Kyrgyzstan 8% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports – commodities
cars, copper ore, electricity, garments, wine (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$17.816 billion (2023 est.)
$15.665 billion (2022 est.)
$11.151 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments – imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 100
Imports – partners
Turkey 16%, USA 13%, Russia 11%, China 8%, Germany 6% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports – commodities
cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, natural gas, garments (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$3.848 billion (2024 est.)
$5.002 billion (2023 est.)
$4.886 billion (2022 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 111
Debt – external
$9.085 billion (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
comparison ranking: 52
Exchange rates
laris (GEL) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
2.721 (2024 est.)
2.628 (2023 est.)
2.916 (2022 est.)
3.222 (2021 est.)
3.109 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 4.526 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 12.569 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 4.913 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 4.234 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.148 billion kWh (2023 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 106; imports 49; exports 40; consumption 96; installed generating capacity 94
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 23.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 75.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
production: 148,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 384,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 80 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 223,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 900.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 35 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 10.77 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 2.775 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 2.764 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 8.495 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
10.7 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 812,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 4.469 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 5.419 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 106
Energy consumption per capita
56.076 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: 88
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 278,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 109
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 5.91 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 156 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 121
Broadcast media
state-owned Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) includes Channel 1, Channel 2, and Adjara TV; independent commercial TV broadcasters include Imedi, Rustavi 2, Pirveli TV, Maestro, Kavkasia, Georgian Dream Studios (GDS), Obiektivi, Mtavari Arkhi, and TOK TV (Russian language); Tabula and Post TV are web-based TV outlets; Georgian Orthodox Church operates a satellite-based television station called Unanimity; 26 regional TV broadcasters; TV shifted to digital in 2015; several dozen private radio stations; GPB operates 2 radio stations (2019)
Internet country code
.ge
Internet users
percent of population: 82% (2023 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 1.1 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total 77
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
4L
Airports
21 (2025)
comparison ranking: 132
Heliports
4 (2025)
comparison ranking: 111
Railways
total: 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)
Merchant marine
total: 26 (2023)
by type: general cargo 3, other 23
comparison ranking: total 139
Ports
total ports: 3 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 1
very small: 2
ports with oil terminals: 2
key ports: Batumi, Sokhumi, Supsa Marine Terminal
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Georgian Defense Forces (GDF; aka Defense Forces of Georgia, DFG): Ground Forces, Air Force, Special Operations Forces, National Guard
Ministry of Internal Affairs: Police, Border Police of Georgia, Coast Guard of Georgia (includes naval forces, which were merged with the Coast Guard in 2009) (2025)
Military expenditures
1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Georgia Defense Forces are authorized up to 37,000 personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the majority of the military’s inventory consists of Soviet-era weapons and equipment, some of which has been upgraded; it has smaller quantities of mostly secondhand material from such countries as Israel, Turkey, and the US, as well as some domestically produced equipment; Georgia has a small defense industry which produces such items as small arms and light armored vehicles (2024)
Military service age and obligation
18-35 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 up to 11 months (six months of service in a combat unit; or eight months of service in another security organization; or 11 months of service in junior command positions and predetermined specialties (2024)
note 1: approximately 6-7,000 individuals are called up annually for conscription for service; conscripts serve in the Defense Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or the Ministry of Corrections
note 2: as of 2022, women made up about 8% of the military’s full-time personnel
Military – note
the Defense Forces of Georgia (DFG) are responsible for protecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country; the DFG also provides units for multinational military operations abroad and supports the Border Police in border protection and civil authorities in counter-terrorist operations, if requested; it is focused primarily on Russia, which maintains military bases and troops in occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia; a five-day conflict with Russian forces in 2008 resulted in the defeat and expulsion of Georgian forces from the breakaway regions
Georgia is not a member of NATO but has had a relationship with the Alliance since 1992 and declared its aspiration to join in 2002; the military is working to make itself more compatible with NATO and has participated in multinational exercises and security operations abroad with NATO, such as Afghanistan, where it was one of the top non-NATO contributors, and Kosovo; the DFG has also contributed troops to EU and UN missions (2025)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 26,660 (Ukraine) (as of 30 December 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
