Geostat has published its preliminary estimate of real GDP growth for May 2024, which stands at 9.2%. In addition, the estimated growth for the first quarter of 2024 reached 8.4%, which is 0.6 ppt higher than the previous estimate. As a result, the average real GDP growth for January - May 2024 reached 9.3%.
For the third quarter of 2024, business confidence in Georgia decreased (by 2.8 index points) and reached 13.6. The highest decrease in business confidence is observed in the construction (-12.5) sector. The negative change in BCI for Q3 2024 was driven by less optimistic expectations.
China is the largest bilateral creditor to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) presently. China’s lending mainly targets infrastructure, transport, energy, and mining sectors in developing countries that are of strategic importance to the Chinese government. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have observed the most substantial increases in borrowing. Chinese financing to LMICs is facilitated through state entities, offering concessional and non-concessional loans, with a significant portion of lending cloaked in confidentiality.
On July 2, 2024, ISET Policy Institute and the Georgian Economic Association jointly hosted a policy panel discussion “Current Economic Challenges in Georgia” as part of the 1st International Conference organized by the Georgian Economic Association (GEA).
The Policy Panel: Current Economic Challenges and Opportunities in Georgia was sponsored and organized by ISET Policy Institute as part of the 1st International Conference of the Georgian Economic Association on July 2, 2024, at Stamba.