PM Kobakhidze: Georgia poverty rate falls to 7.1%, economy grows 7.5%

Georgia’s poverty rate declined to 7.1% in 2025 as the economy expanded by 7.5%, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Monday, citing new data published by the national statistics office.

Kobakhidze claimed around 90,000 people moved out of poverty during the year, while the poverty rate has fallen threefold since 2020, from 21.3% to 7.1%.

Speaking at a press conference, the prime minister said fewer than 280,000 people were now living below the poverty line, compared with more than 1.12 million in 2012.

Kobakhidze said the average annual decline in poverty over the past five years stood at 2.84 percentage points.

Separately, speaking at the presentation of Tether’s investment project, Kobakhidze said Georgia’s legislative framework was “fully aligned” with international standards, helping integrate the country into the global financial system.

He also said Georgia’s average annual economic growth since 2021 had reached 9.3%, with growth in the current quarter standing at 9.1%.

The prime minister attributed the performance to economic policy, a free business environment, low corruption levels and growth in the information technology sector.

Kobakhidze added that cooperation with Tether, including plans for a digital version of the Georgian lari known as GELt, would support further economic development and investment.