UN DESA data illustrate that from 2010 to 2020, the number of stock emigrants from Georgia increased by 7% and amounted to 861 thousand – (23% of the country’s population), reads the PMCG research.

According to the research, Russia remains the main destination country for Georgian emigrants (450 thousand), followed by Greece, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan with 85 thousand, 65 thousand and 49 thousand persons, respectively. Among leading destination countries, the highest increases in stock emigrants over the analyzed period were indicated in the USA (77%), Italy (60%), and Armenia (47%).

As PMCG reports, over the analyzed period the share of Post-Soviet countries as hosts of stock emigrants slightly declined from 75% to 72%. Meanwhile, the shares of EU countries and the UK increased from 20% to 21%, and the share of North American countries rose from 3% to 5%.

"Georgia is a country of emigration. Since the mid-1990s, Georgian migration patterns have been characterized as labor emigration driven by socio-economic challenges (high unemployment, poverty, and low salaries). As different studies have indicated, the significant proportion of Georgian labor emigrants reside and work illegally in their host country. The primary motivation for Georgian emigrants is to be able to send money back to their families in Georgia to support them3. This bulletin discusses Georgia’s emigration trends and the role of remittances in the Georgian economy on macro and micro levels over the last decade.

From 2012 to 2017, emigration flow from Georgia decreased by 6% and amounted to 85 thousand persons. Over this period, the average net migration4 was -7 thousand. However, from 2018, emigration flows started to grow and in 2019 reached 105 thousand, the highest figure over the last decade. Together with other factors, the increased emigration flow could be attributed to the visa liberalization agreement reached between the EU and Georgia that was introduced in 2017. From 2018 to 2021, the average net migration amounted to -7 thousand," reads the study.

source: IPN