In the past year, in response to rising levels of private debt, the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) enacted new regulations to curb excessive indebtedness. The impacts of the implemented regulations are as yet unclear but generally the reaction in the private sector has been negative. In this newsletter, a brief overview of the possible implications of these lending regulations are presented.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room1 in a 3-star hotel was 151 GEL per night in August 2019. While the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 230 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse2 was 75 GEL per night.

In August 2019, compared to August 2018, hotel prices in Georgia decreased by 2.4%. The prices of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels decreased by 5.3%, while the prices of guestouses increased by 3.1%

In July 2019, compared to July 2018, hotel prices in Georgia decreased by 6.5%. The prices of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels decreased by 8.7%, while the prices of guestouses decreased by 2.8%. In July 2019, compared to July 2018, the number of international travelers trips in Georgia increased by 5.8%, and among the international travelers, the proportion who stayed in Georgia for 24 hours or more (classified as tourists) increased by 1%.

Gender pay gap has become a prominent issue across the world. Indeed, women on average earn 25% less than men in a number of Western countries. This gap has negative effects not only on society as a whole, but also on economic growth. According to McKinsey & Company, achieving gender parity could increase the economy by two digit percentage points.

The World Economic Survey (WES) assesses global economic trends by polling transnational and national organizations worldwide on current economic developments in their respective countries. Its results offer a rapid, up-to-date assessment of the current economic situation internationally. In July 2019, 1,173 economic experts in 116 countries were polled.

The aim of this newsletter is to briefly examine the roots of the gender pay gap in Georgia, to reveal the differences of average wage in various sectors, distributions of labour force according to gender and hourly wages for males and females. Due to data limitations, only the wages of hired employees are considered.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 148 GEL per night in July 2019. While the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 224 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 73 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in July 2019 was 482 GEL per night. In Tbilisi, the average price was 588 GEL, followed by Adjara – 453 GEL, and Kakheti - 399 GEL and Samstkhe-Javakheti - 380 GEL.

In the third quarter of 2019, Georgian economic climate has worsened rapidly. In this period, Georgian economists assessed Georgia’s present economic situation negatively; Moreover, the assessment of present economic situation in this quarter has deteriorated compared to both the previous quarter (Q2) of 2019 and the same time last year (Q3 of 2018). In the third quarter of 2019, Georgia’s economic situation in the next six months has also been assessed negatively by Georgian economists. In this quarter, expectations in six months has worsened compared to both, the second quarter of 2019 and the third quarter of 2018.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 137 GEL per night in June 2019. While the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 232 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 76 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in June 2019 was 448 GEL per night. In Tbilisi, the average price was 618 GEL, followed by Samstkhe-Javakheti - 417 GEL, Adjara – 384 GEL, and Kakheti - 369 GEL.