Geostat has released its rapid estimate of real GDP growth for February 2022. The estimated growth stands at 14.6%, while the average real GDP growth for January-February 2022 reached 16.3%.

In March 2022, the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri stood at 5.84 GEL, which is 0.4% higher month-on-month compared to February 2022, and 31.4% higher year-on-year compared to March 2021.

For the Georgian economy, 2021 was a year of gradual recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Geostat rapid estimates, the real GDP expanded by 10.7%, coming within 0.1 percentage points of the ISET-PI forecast from November 2021 and surpassing the NBG and IMF mid-year projections, which ranged between 8% - 8.5% y/y.

In February 2022, the cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri increased both annually and monthly, ranging between 5.7 GEL (Kutaisi) and 6.1 GEL (Tbilisi), with an average cost of 5.8 GEL. The latest average price is 28.8% higher than in February 2021. In month-to-month developments, the price of a khachapuri is 0.8% higher compared to the previous month January 2022.

Geostat has published its rapid estimate of real GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2021, and their estimated growth stands at 9.5%, which is 1.4 percentage points below the ISET-PI’s most recent forecast. The annual real GDP growth in 2021 amounted to 10.6%, which is 0.2 percentage points lower than our recent prediction.