
In the globally very turbulent 2024, Georgia was under the spotlight in the global arena, but not for a good reason and with nothing to celebrate. On the contrary, this spotlight was earned by its government’s risky shift away from the EU trajectory and, post the 26 October Parliamentary election, the powerful, non-stop peaceful street protests of the pro-European population in the capital Tbilisi and other cities, those demanding free and fair new elections.

According to GeoStat’s preliminary estimates in the second quarter of 2024, Georgia’s nominal GDP reached GEL 24,855.7 million, with a year-over-year real GDP growth of 11.0% and a GDP deflator change of 4.3%. The growth was driven by significant increases in value-added across various sectors: Education activities rose by 35.6%, Information and communication rose by 32.8%, Construction by 30.9%, Financial and insurance activities by 22.9%, Public administration and defense, including social security by 14.7% and Wholesale and retail trade, including repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles by 11%. Conversely, there was a decline in value-added in electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply by 13.6% and in Real estate activities by 4.9%.

Geostat has published its preliminary estimate of real GDP growth for October 2024, which stands at 11%. In addition, the estimated growth for the first, second, and third quarters of 2024 reached 8.7%, 9.7%, and 11%, respectively. Consequently, the average real GDP growth from January to October 2024 reached 10%.

Tamar Sulukhia, Director of ISET and ISET Policy Institute, participated in a high-level panel discussion at the SITE 2024 Development Day Conference in Stockholm, focusing on the European Union accession paths of Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. The conference, titled "Forging a Road to a Brighter Future: The Path of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia to European Union Membership," was held in Stockholm on December 4, 2024.

On Tuesday, 26th November, ISET Policy Institute hosted an insightful seminar by Dr. Christophe Cordonnier, a distinguished international expert in Historical Economics. The event, organized in collaboration with the French Georgian University, took place at ISET in Tbilisi and brought together a diverse audience of academics, students, and professionals.