The U.S. presidential election is one of the most consequential global political events, influencing not only internal American policies but also its relationships with countries worldwide. It has far-reaching implications beyond the American citizenry that affect international partners, including Georgia. As a small, strategically located country in the South Caucasus, Georgia’s economy is deeply intertwined with the geopolitical environment and under the support of key allies like the United States.
From October 3 to 5, ISET Policy Institute and Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) hosted a three-day International Conference. The conference was jointly organized by ISET and IAMO and titled “Improving the Functioning of Agri-Food Value Chains in the South Caucasus Region”.
The National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat) has published its second quarterly bulletin for 2024. The publication highlights that the real GDP in agriculture, forestry, and fishing increased by 0.7% compared to the first quarter of 2023. Furthermore, agriculture contributed to 5.3% of the country’s total GDP during the first quarter of 2024.
According to GeoStat’s preliminary estimates in the second quarter of 2024, Georgia’s nominal GDP reached GEL 22,101.7 million, with a year-over-year real GDP growth of 9.6% and a GDP deflator change of 2.5%. The growth was driven by significant increases in value-added across various sectors: Accommodation and food service activities rose by 35.7%, Education by 21.3%, household activities as employers and producers of goods and services for personal use by 17.3%, Transportation and storage by 16.1%, Public administration and defense, including social security, by 13.3%, and Construction by 13%.
In September 2024, the average price for preparing a standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri reached 6.48 GEL. During August and September 2024, the Khachapuri Index showed an upward trend, with prices increasing by 13% in September compared to July 2024.