კონფერენცია

∘ Nana Menabdishvili ∘
SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IN MODERN GEORGIA

Summary

The current demographic data in Georgia represent an existential threat to the existence of the Georgian state. There is a significant decrease in the absolute number of the population. Since the end of the last century, the country's population has decreased by 1,225,400 people. The situation is especially difficult in the regions. Young people living there are involved in both external and internal migration, and mainly elderly people remain in the villages. After their death, the villages empty out. The process of population aging in the country has accelerated. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the median age of the population has increased. The median age of women has increased by 4.4 years, and that of men by 4.3 years. The main reason for the increase in the median age is the decline in the birth rate. According to a sociological study, 44.2 percent of the surveyed (1,891 families) families do not have a single child under the age of 16. Such families are the most numerous in the studied population and are twice as numerous as families with only two children under the age of 16. The actual number of children in the families of the respondents is 1.9 children. The total fertility rate has been constantly decreasing since 2014 and amounted to 1.7 in 2024. This indicator is not sufficient even for simple reproduction of the population. The share of the population over 65 years of age in the country's total population increased from 9.2% to 15.6%, and the ratio of the elderly to the number of children increased from 37.4% to 71.1%. Since 2020, Georgia has been experiencing a natural decline. The natural growth rate in the country has fluctuated between -0.7‰ and -3.8‰ over the past five years. The main determining factors of the decline and aging of the country's population are fertility and migration. Since the 1990s (with the exception of 2020, 2022 and 2024), the country has recorded a negative migration balance. In 2023, the negative migration balance of Georgian citizens exceeded the number of children born in the country by 31.4 thousand, or almost 1.8 times. The entire population of Georgia is involved in emigration processes. According to the study, almost 25% of the surveyed population has a family member in emigration. Most of the people who emigrated (68.8) are of fertile age. This indicates that the country is losing its reproductive potential.

Keywords: population, birth rate, population aging, natural increase, migration.

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Paata Gugushvili Institute of Economics International Scientific C O N F E R E N C E S "ECONOMY – XXI CENTURY"

E ISSN 2587 - 4691	∘ Nana Menabdishvili ∘ SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IN MODERN GEORGIA Summary The current demographic data in Georgia represent an existential threat to the existence of the Georgian state. There is a significant decrease in the absolute number of the population. Since the end of the last century, the country's population has decreased by 1,225,400 people. The situation is especially difficult in the regions. Young people living there are involved in both external and internal migration, and mainly elderly people remain in the villages. After their death, the villages empty out. The process of population aging in the country has accelerated. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the median age of the population has increased. The median age of women has increased by 4.4 years, and that of men by 4.3 years. The main reason for the increase in the median age is the decline in the birth rate. According to a sociological study, 44.2 percent of the surveyed (1,891 families) families do not have a single child under the age of 16. Such families are the most numerous in the studied population and are twice as numerous as families with only two children under the age of 16. The actual number of children in the families of the respondents is 1.9 children. The total fertility rate has been constantly decreasing since 2014 and amounted to 1.7 in 2024. This indicator is not sufficient even for simple reproduction of the population. The share of the population over 65 years of age in the country's total population increased from 9.2% to 15.6%, and the ratio of the elderly to the number of children increased from 37.4% to 71.1%. Since 2020, Georgia has been experiencing a natural decline. The natural growth rate in the country has fluctuated between -0.7‰ and -3.8‰ over the past five years. The main determining factors of the decline and aging of the country's population are fertility and migration. Since the 1990s (with the exception of 2020, 2022 and 2024), the country has recorded a negative migration balance. In 2023, the negative migration balance of Georgian citizens exceeded the number of children born in the country by 31.4 thousand, or almost 1.8 times. The entire population of Georgia is involved in emigration processes. According to the study, almost 25% of the surveyed population has a family member in emigration. Most of the people who emigrated (68.8) are of fertile age. This indicates that the country is losing its reproductive potential. *Keywords:* population, birth rate, population aging, natural increase, migration.