This bulletin provides a comprehensive understanding of household income distribution in Georgia. It presents an analysis of income inequality beyond the traditional Gini coefficient by examining additional dimensions of income distribution. More precisely, the bulletin compares the income of different segments of society, household income in rural and urban areas, and between regions.  

Since the beginning of 2023, the tourism sector in Georgia has been showing signs of significant recovery. Therefore, with this background, it is interesting to analyze the latest hotel price dynamics in Georgia. Since the beginning of 2023, the year-on-year (YoY) Hotel Price Index (HPI) in Georgia has experienced notable fluctuations, with a significant decline in the summer months. That drop was mainly attributed to the YoY price decrease for guesthouses. To provide a better understanding of the latest price changes of hotels, the regional analysis is crucial. In the summer months of 2023, the YoY HPI in Adjara was positive and significant for all categories of hotels (16%) in June, followed by a decline in July (-2.8%) and August (-0.2%). This could partially be attributed to the relatively low demand in seaside locations, in some instances due to visitors’ sea safety concerns.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 181 GEL per night in August 2023, while the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 278 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 130 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in August 2023 was 542 GEL per night. In Guria, the average price was 1055 GEL, followed by Adjara – 515 GEL, Tbilisi – 515 GEL, and Kakheti – 837 GEL.

In July 2023, the number of persons receiving a monthly salary increased by 4.7% compared to the corresponding period of 2022. In July 2023, the share of persons receiving a monthly salary up to 600 GEL amounted to 17.1%, which was 4.0 percentage points less than the corresponding period of 2022. In 2023, from February to July, the total number of vacancies published on jobs.ge amounted to 42,900, which was 12.8% higher compared to the corresponding period of 2022. In 2023, from February to July, a total of 7,866 vacancies were published in the field of finance, statistics, which was 43.1% higher than the corresponding period of 2022 and 99.0% higher compared to the corresponding period of 2021.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 174 GEL per night in July 2023, while the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 267 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 132 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in July 2023 was 498 GEL per night. In Guria, the average price was 894 GEL, followed by Adjara – 550 GEL, Tbilisi – 505 GEL, and Kakheti – 466 GEL.

In the first half of 2023, the number of international visits to Georgia reached 2.5 million visits, which is 21.7% lower than in the first half of 2019 (referred to as the corresponding pre-pandemic figure). This relatively slow recovery could be attributed to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War and related disruptions to Georgia’s tourism sector. From a regional perspective, the number of international visits originating from Europe in the first half of 2023 was well below the pre-pandemic number (-23.3%), while for all other regions, the number of visits matched or exceeded the pre-pandemic figure. Despite only a partial recovery in the number of international visitors in the first half of 2023 against the corresponding period of 2019, income from international travel reached USD 1.8 billion, representing a 24% increase compared to the first half of 2019. According to the National Bank of Georgia, as of 30 June 2023, 38.4% of Russian citizens, 34.9% of Belarusian citizens, and 28.0% of Ukrainian citizens residing in Georgia were estimated to have been living in the country for at least one year or were intending to stay for more than one year. Considering these estimates, income from Russian travelers was at its highest in the first half of 2023 when it amounted to USD 482.1 million (equating to 26.7% of total income from international travel), which is 9.4% higher compared to the same period of 2019.  

Following rapid double-digit growth in 2021 and 2022, Georgia's economy in this year is continuing on an upward trajectory, albeit at a slower pace compared to the previous two years. In the first half of 2023, there were several positive developments in the Georgian economy, even of these have all come with their own challenges and associated risks – examined within the report in detail. Issue 4 of the Macro Overview thoroughly explores different aspects of the economy in Georgia and beyond, including: Economic Growth; Economic and Business Climate; Key Macroeconomic Indicators; Labor Market; External Sector; Global Economic Trends.

In June 2023, the number of persons receiving a monthly salary increased by 4.7% compared to the corresponding period of 2022. In June 2023, the share of persons receiving a monthly salary of 2,400 GEL and more amounted to 22.6%, which was 5.3 percentage points more compared to the corresponding period of 2022. In 2023, from January to June, the total number of vacancies published on jobs.ge amounted to 42,075, which was 15.0% higher compared to the corresponding period of 2022. In 2023, from January to June, a total of 7,799 vacancies were published in the field of finance and statistics, which was 46.4% higher than the corresponding period of 2022.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 186 GEL per night in June 2023, while the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 262 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 133 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in June 2023 was 485 GEL per night. In Guria, the average price was 646 GEL, followed by Kakheti – 556 GEL, Adjara – 516 GEL, and Tbilisi – 512 GEL.

In 2022, the recovery level of international tourist arrivals to Georgia (72%) was higher compared to the averages of the world (63%), and Central/Eastern Europe (59%), yet lower than that of Europe as a whole (80%). The rate of recovery for Georgia accelerated in Q1 of 2023, reaching 96%, above the averages of the world (80%), Europe as a whole (90%), and Central/Eastern Europe (59%). However, among selected comparable countries in which tourism makes a large contribution to the national economy, Georgia’s performance was not so outstanding in 2022. Specifically, high levels of recovery in the number of international tourists were evident in all such nations, with Albania even exceeding its pre-pandemic figure, followed by Greece and Croatia showing a strong rebound, while Georgia performed the worst among these four countries. In a regional context, Turkey and Armenia showed better performance regarding the recovery of international tourist arrivals than Georgia both in 2022 and in Q1 of 2023.