The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri in April 2021 was 4.65 GEL. The Index gained 1% compared to the previous month (March 2021). Usually, at this time of year, seasonal declining trend is expected, which is largely driven by a springtime adjustment of the price of milk and milk products.

Smoking and passive smoking are some of the main problems for public health in Georgia. According to the WHO, 29.9% of adults in Georgia smoked tobacco in 2017. Smoking prevalence among males was 54.6% – fifth in the world and first in Europe. A study by UNDP suggests that about 0.4% of the adult population of Georgia die annually from tobacco-related diseases and the estimated total annual economic costs of smoking account for 2.4% of GDP.

The Khachapuri Index kept declining in March 2021, with the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri reaching 4.61 GEL. This is 1.7% lower month-on-month (compared to February 2021), and 3.4% higher year-on-year (compared to March 2020).

This in-depth study seeks to quantify the costs and benefits associated with introducing a local tourism fee to support public services and touristic infrastructure in Georgian municipalities. Locally generated and retained fee revenues are one of the best methods for boosting local economies and maintaining tourist infrastructure. A tourism local tax and/or fee is an internationally accepted practice and is paid by non-residents when staying in local tourist accommodations and when receiving specialized services.

In February 2021, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri stood at 4.69 GEL. This is 3.1% lower MoM (compared to January 2021) and 7.8% higher YoY (in comparison to February of 2020). On a monthly basis, at this time of the year, a downward trend in the index is not unusual, and simply relates to the decreasing price of cheese (due to an increased seasonal supply of fresh milk).