Recently, Geostat published the preliminary estimate of real GDP growth for the second quarter of 2017, which now stands at 4.7%. This is 0.7 percentage points above the previously estimated average growth rate for Q2. As a result, the real GDP growth for the first half of 2017 reached 4.9%.

According to the preliminary statistics released by GeoStat, Georgia’s GDP in Q1 of 2017 grew by 5.0% YoY – the highest growth rate since Q3 2014. What lies behind such spectacular growth numbers? First and foremost, it stems from the genuine improvement in the economic situation in the region, which has resulted in increased exports, FDI, tourism, and remittances. Secondly, the sharp increase in the growth rate in December 2016 “lifted” the GDP base and allowed normal GDP improvements to look even better compared to last year’s levels.

Both Georgia and Armenia have been subject to negative external economic shocks, particularly through remittances and exports, in 2014 and 2015, yet the macroeconomic adjustment of the countries appears to have been different. While the GDP growth of both countries remained relatively stable at around 3% in both years, the exchange rate of the Georgian Lari (GEL) depreciated by a 29% in 2014-2015 compared to 15% for the Armenian Dram (AMD).

The International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University has signed a contract with the Asian Development Bank to contribute to a study on: “Good Jobs for Inclusive Growth in Central and West Asia”. Since obtaining independence in the early 1990s, Central and West Asian countries have made noticeable progress. However, recent economic disruptions, mainly caused by the structural decline in energy prices and the protracted devaluation of currencies in the region, are affecting jobs, remittances, and people’s general well-being.

The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian Khachapuri in the first month of 2015 dropped to 3.40 GEL, which is 7.4% lower month-on-month (m/m, that is compared to the previous month), and 5% year-on-year (y/y, that is compared to the same month of last year).