Georgia today: economy and politics
Property prices in Batumi are quoted in dollars, but they live inside the Georgian economy. Here is how it has moved over ten years, and where politics stands.
Real GDP growth
Percent per year
Growth averaged more than 9% a year from 2021 to 2025, after a 6.3% fall in 2020. In 2025 the economy grew 7.5%, led by information and communication, education and finance.
Show the figures
| Year | Real GDP growth |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 3.4% |
| 2016 | 3.5% |
| 2017 | 5.2% |
| 2018 | 6.1% |
| 2019 | 5.4% |
| 2020 | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 10.6% |
| 2022 | 11.0% |
| 2023 | 7.8% |
| 2024 | 9.7% |
| 2025 | 7.5% |
World Bank WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG (updated 2026-11-11); 2025 matches Geostat preliminary 7.5%
GDP per person
US dollars, current prices
Income per person more than doubled in ten years, from about $4,100 in 2015 to about $9,700 in 2025.
Show the figures
| Year | GDP per person |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4,087 |
| 2016 | $4,143 |
| 2017 | $4,419 |
| 2018 | $4,804 |
| 2019 | $4,741 |
| 2020 | $4,301 |
| 2021 | $5,084 |
| 2022 | $6,730 |
| 2023 | $8,284 |
| 2024 | $8,968 |
| 2025 | $9,692 |
World Bank WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.CD, current US$
Inflation
Consumer prices, percent per year
Prices rose fastest in 2021–2022, peaking at 11.9%. Inflation fell to 1.1% in 2024 and was 3.9% in 2025, close to the central bank’s 3% target.
Show the figures
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 4.0% |
| 2016 | 2.1% |
| 2017 | 6.0% |
| 2018 | 2.6% |
| 2019 | 4.8% |
| 2020 | 5.2% |
| 2021 | 9.6% |
| 2022 | 11.9% |
| 2023 | 2.5% |
| 2024 | 1.1% |
| 2025 | 3.9% |
World Bank WDI FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG, annual average
Lari per US dollar
Official rate on the last business day of the year
The lari weakened to 3.28 per dollar at the end of 2020, then recovered to 2.70 by the end of 2025. For a dollar-priced apartment, a stronger lari makes local costs and rents worth more in dollars.
Show the figures
| Year | Lari per US dollar |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.39 |
| 2016 | 2.65 |
| 2017 | 2.59 |
| 2018 | 2.68 |
| 2019 | 2.87 |
| 2020 | 3.28 |
| 2021 | 3.10 |
| 2022 | 2.70 |
| 2023 | 2.69 |
| 2024 | 2.81 |
| 2025 | 2.70 |
National Bank of Georgia, official GEL per USD at the last business day of the year
Foreign direct investment
Million US dollars
Foreign investment reached $1.9 billion in 2025, up 19.3%. The United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Türkiye were the largest investors.
Show the figures
| Year | Foreign direct investment |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $1,729 |
| 2016 | $1,654 |
| 2017 | $1,990 |
| 2018 | $1,351 |
| 2019 | $1,368 |
| 2020 | $596 |
| 2021 | $1,294 |
| 2022 | $2,258 |
| 2023 | $2,070 |
| 2024 | $1,593 |
| 2025 | $1,900 |
Geostat, FDI in 2025 (adjusted), 17.08.2026, million US$
Tourism
Georgia received a record 5.5 million international tourist visits in 2025, and tourism revenue reached about $4.7 billion. Tourism is what drives short-term rental demand in Batumi.
Politics, in brief
Georgia is a parliamentary republic. The Georgian Dream party has governed since 2012 and won the October 2024 parliamentary election, which the opposition disputed; opposition parties refused to take their seats.
In November 2024 the government suspended EU accession talks until 2028. Protests have taken place in central Tbilisi almost every evening since. The European Union says the accession process is de facto halted and has criticised new laws on civil society and media. The government says EU membership by 2030 remains its goal.
Most Georgians support joining the EU, according to surveys cited by Western analysts. Batumi’s mayor, Archil Chikovani, belongs to Georgian Dream.
Sources
Checked against the sources below in November 2026.
- World Bank — GDP growth, GDP per capita, inflation (updated 11 Nov 2026)
- Geostat — GDP of Georgia in 2025
- National Bank of Georgia — official exchange rates
- Geostat — FDI in 2025 (adjusted)
- 1TV — FDI by country 2025
- 1TV — record 5.5 million tourists in 2025
- Gulf Times — tourism revenue 2025
- Euronews — protests and EU talks
- Human Rights Watch — World Report 2026: Georgia
- BTI 2026 — Georgia country report
- Euronews — Georgia news (government position)
- Forbes — survey on EU and NATO support
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change: confirm your case with a lawyer or accountant in Georgia.
Share this page