Tbilisi recently hosted an International Conference commemorating the 105th Anniversary of the National Statistical Office of Georgia (Geostat) and the 25th Anniversary of Collecting Gender Statistics. The two-day event, themed "Accelerating Progress Towards Inclusive Development Through Gender Statistics," was organized by Geostat and UN Women.
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.
A sharp decrease in CCI. The declining trend that started in April continued in May, with the Consumer Confidence Index dropping by 9.5 index points – from -17.8 in April to -27.3 points in May. The decline was present in both CCI sub-indices, however, it was more prominent in the Present Situation Index. Namely, the Expectations Index declined by 5.5 index points, while the Present Situation Index decreased by 13.4 points.
Following a peak in polarization in May, attributed to the adoption of the 'Law of Foreign Influence,' there was a dramatic decline in polarization throughout the first month of summer. This decrease coincided with the successful participation of the Georgian football team in Euro 2024, which fostered a sense of national unity and pride.