or the past two years, Georgia has faced persistent political instability, driven by various legislative and electoral actions of the ruling party, ultimately resulting in a profound political crisis that has undermined the domestic and international legitimacy of the ruling party.

The political and social turmoil surrounding the 26 October parliamentary elections and their aftermath have significant implications for Georgia's business environment. The prolonged polarization, government-led violence against protesters, and the suspension of EU accession talks create uncertainty that can negatively influence the economic climate in multiple ways.

In the third and fourth quarters of 2022, Georgian power plants generated 4,193 mln. and 3,359 mln. kWh of electricity, respectively (Figure 1). This represents a +11.4% and -3.5% change in total generation compared to the corresponding periods of the previous year (in 2021, the total generation in Q3 was 3,766 mln. kWh and 3,479 mln. kWh in Q4).

Over the past few years, food prices have been increasing and Georgia has been facing food price inflation in the double digits. This is primarily due to international market trends that reflect concerns over decreased production, increased crude oil prices, as well as COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine increased pressure on international food markets already struggling with soaring prices.

According to Geostat's report titled “Tendency of Economic Growth, Indicators of Monthly Economic Statistics”, the real GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2022 is estimated to be 9.5%, which has contributed to an overall annual real GDP growth of 10.1% in 2022.