Being a researcher is not only my job, it is my way of life. Every time I get the chance, I start conversations with random people and ask them tons of questions. During a recent taxi ride, after I asked the driver how his business was going, he told me that the demand for taxis had fallen significantly in January.

Today and tomorrow over a third of the world’s population (around 2 billion people) will be celebrating Christmas1. Traditionally, the holiday season will inevitably feature an exchange of gifts. The sums spent on Christmas gift-giving are huge! For example, in 2018 the expected spending on Christmas gifts in the United States is around 885 USD per person2 – this is about 2.8% of what someone in the middle of income distribution earns per year.

According to a nationally representative sample of 307 Georgians interviewed in early November 2018, the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) dropped by 4 index points, from -18 in October to -22 in November. A similar pattern was observed in both sub-indices: the Present Situation Index went down by 4.7 (from -22.6 to -27.3), and the Expectations Index went down by 3.2 index points (from -13.4 to -16.6) compared to October.

I have been living away from Yerevan for four years. Over these years, every time I visited my city, I noticed more and more new (and fancy) cafes. Over time, I also noticed that café visits seemed to grow in numbers and I started wondering whether it was just my impression or the reality. I have been particularly puzzled by the paradoxical nature of the fact that people always complain about their wages and living standards, yet they do not mind spending money in cafés.

According to a nationally representative sample of 331 Georgians interviewed in early October 2018, the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) dropped by 2.8 index points, from -15.2 in September to -18 in October. A similar pattern was observed in both sub-indices: the Present Situation Index went down by 5.3 (from -17.3 to -22.6), and the Expectations Index by 0.2 index points (from -13.1 to -13.4) compared to September.