Summary 

The article with the main statistical indicators characteristic of number and age-sex structure of the population of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. The research process reveals the trends of population change and age-sex structure changes within a long-term period and analyzes the peculiarities of its dynamic development according to the total area of Adjara as well as its self-governing units.

The calculated indicators are compared with similar indicators of other administrative regions of Georgia and interesting unequal situations are revealed. Urbanization trends have also been identified and their causes cited.

The study of demographic processes is always relevant and does not lose its importance even today, as the socio-economic level of life of the population depends a lot on the development of demographic processes.

Although a lot of research has been done to study the demographic environment in Georgia, the demographic situation in certain regions is relatively low. Along with the variability of time, it is necessary to study the peculiarities of the current demographic processes in certain regions and to consider them in order to make political decisions or implement targeted social programs.

In order to better assess the demographic situation and processes in the region, such important characteristics as indicators of population reproduction and its age-sex structure are used. The latter is one of the important social characteristics of the population. Based on its analysis, it is possible to identify the peculiarities of population reproduction, elaboration, and develop systems of pension provisions, healthcare, and education. The demographic situation is reflected in the formation of labor resources, part of which is the economically active population that is the labor force. Demographic aging directly affects the distribution of the labor force. Against its background, the existing human capital and its productivity should be assessed. It depends on many factors, such as age, gender, physical ability, work environment, knowledge-education, and so on whether it can create material or intangible wealth. It is the amount of labor that determines the level of employment that characterizes the well-being and socio-economic development of the region's population.

Thus, the study of population number and age-sex structure is the starting point for the study of the socio-economic development of the region.

The present paper discusses the main indicators of the population and age-sex composition of the population of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara and presents their statistical analysis.

The main source of information on the demographic statistics used in the article is the data obtained from the general census of the population on the population and the age-sex structure.

As a result of the analysis, A. R. of Adjara different tendencies of population change and age-sex structure change were identified according to its self-governing units. It should be noted that against the background of the decrease in the total population of Georgia, there is an increase in the population of Adjara, which is a welcome fact. However, at the same time, there is a tendency for the rural population to decline. The largest population decline was in the highlands, mainly due to declining birth rates and internal and external migration. Adjara is a small land region, so due to this problem, the population prefers to live and work in the urban area. This is accompanied by a lack of access to jobs and education.

It is noteworthy that almost half of the population of Adjara, that is 46%, live in Batumi. In recent years, Batumi, as the second-largest city in the country, is characterized by high economic growth, which was especially facilitated by the growth of investment and the significant expansion of the construction sector.

Among other regions of Georgia, according to the age structure, Adjara is distinguished by the youngest population and the lowest share of the aging population, namely: the share of the population aged 15 to 60 is 64.7% of the population of Adjara, which means that the share of the working force in the total population is the highest. This is the basis of optimistic forecasts in terms of increasing labor resources and productivity.

Keywords: Population, Demography, Urbanization, Age-sex Structure